This Mess We're In
by perfectlyflawedx
Summary: Completely AU. Ianto works for an ad agency based in Cardiff, spending his days fending off the advances from his boss, Jack. He tells himself its because he's not interested in the man, but deep down he knows theres more to it than that...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know, I know. I keep saying I'm going to finish Three's a Crowd & then posting something new :( **

**Heres the thing. I got halfway through the last chapter and then suddenly started having mixed feelings about the ending. That just made me run out of inspiration until suddenly _this _idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away...**

**So yeah, in the end I gave in and put it into words and I hope you like the results. I swear I havn't given up on Three's a Crowd (for anyone that is still reading it after all this time :P) ****, I'm just taking a break to write something new and get my inspiration back :)**

**Enjoy! x**

Ianto Jones would be the first to admit that he wasn't really one for living in the moment, never had been, never would be. His life had always been full of longing, apologies and regrets, constantly questioning the past and looking to the future, but never quite living in the now.

Ianto used to think this was a good way to be, that it would somehow make him less prone to making mistakes. That was until it became clear to him that he'd made more mistakes in his twenty five years on earth than most people did in a lifetime.

And one of those many mistakes, he soon realised, was deciding to attend this bloody party.

This was the third office party he'd been to since starting at the company two years back and it was always the same. He'd turn up; mingle with the crowd for a grand total of four minutes before ending up stood awkwardly on his own in the corner, sipping on a lukewarm beer and trying not to draw any attention to himself.

It wasn't a hard task really; he was so used to blending in at work, making himself invisible to the people around him, after a while it just became instinct. Hopefully he could keep up the invisible act until everyone was too drunk to notice him slip away. He'd been planning a quiet evening at home curled up on the sofa with Myfanwy and a bottle of wine; maybe watch a few QI repeats on _Dave._ That plan had gone to shit as soon as his boss cornered him at work and practically black mailed him into 'getting out the office' and 'having some fun'. Apparently that fun meant attending the Valentine's Day office do and unfortunately Ianto had never been good at just saying _no _to people, especially when those people were his boss...

He tapped lightly on the side of his beer bottle and glanced down at his watch for the twentieth time that night. Seven fifteen, probably still a little early to leave without getting caught. He risked a quick glance around the room and his eyes soon drifted towards the food table on the opposite side. He raised an eyebrow and bit his lip, maybe if he moved quickly a_round _the crowds he could make it without being spotted. Not that there was one thing besides the breadsticks he'd be willing to put in his mouth, but it would hopefully provide a distraction for another half hour before he could make his secret exit.

Draining the last of his beer, he placed the bottle on the side and casually made his way over, careful not to make eye contact with anyone in his department. As he neared the table he sped up a little, squeezing past a group of younger girls till he found a clear spot away from the social crowd. Letting out a sigh of relief, he pulled a breadstick from the pot and began to nibble on the top, keeping his back to the room. He was sure he'd gotten away with it until he heard footsteps approaching from behind and an all too familiar voice booming his name over the noise of the party.

"Ianto Jones!"

Ianto closed his eyes and bit back a groan of frustration. If there was one person who could make this night worse than it was already, it was Owen Harper. He dropped the breadstick back on the table and spun around to face him, slipping his hands into his suit trousers and his face into work mode.

"Evening Owen," he said with a slight nod, mentally preparing himself for any snide comments the other man was likely to throw his way. "Good night?"

Owen snorted and gestured towards a pair of young blondes hovering by the door, both dressed in some tacky school girl garb. _Right up Owens street_, Ianto thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Getting better," said Owen with a wink in the girl's direction. The shorter of the two caught his eye and giggled, turning to whisper in her friend's ear while Owen just grinned. Ianto shook his head and reached for another breadstick, taking a large bite off the top to try and avoid conversation.

No such luck...

"I've gotta say," Owen went on, "I was surprised to see you here mate, didn't think this was really your scene."

Ianto swallowed the last of his breadstick and shrugged, "Boss' orders." As soon as the words left his mouth he was mentally kicking himself, Owen was bound to come up with some sharp retort to that.

"Well, it's not like you to let the boss down is it?"

Ianto sighed. _Yep, there it was..._

"I wouldn't feel bad about it mate," Owen continued. "We've all gone to extreme lengths to please the boss at some point, some more than others," he gave a short laugh and raised an eyebrow, "but I'm sure you know all about that..."

Ianto tried his hardest not to react, reacting would just draw more attention to them and he didn't need that right now. What he needed was to get out of this goddamn party.

"Oh, I don't know," Ianto replied, straight faced. "You seem to know an awful lot more about this than I do," He broke another piece off his breadstick, shooting Owen a small victory grin before popping it in his mouth. Owen scoffed and shook his head.

"Yeah, maybe in your sad wet dreams mate," He moved further into Ianto's personal space as his lips morphed into a half smile. "Maybe save that fantasy for when you're sneaking off for a wank behind the photocopier."

"It wasn't—"Ianto began to defend himself but stopped suddenly, unsure how to finish that sentence. He settled instead for his deadliest glare, gritting his teeth to hold back the anger that was rising rapidly. Owen chuckled and stepped back and it was then Ianto noticed the small group of people watching them, two of the women clearly trying to stifle their giggles. He felt his face heat up like the fucking sun and he mentally cursed himself for allowing Owen to get him worked up like that a_gain._ He could handle it at work when it was just the two of them, he couldn't handle it out of the office with his work colleagues for an was still watching him, clearly waiting for some sort of response with that ever present smirk on his face.

Well, Ianto certainly wasn't going to give him one. Instead, he calmly discarded the last of his breadstick on the table and stepped right around the other man, heading straight for the drinks table. He was so busy trying to avoid eye contact with everyone he passed he ended up walking straight into one of the older women from his department, knocking the wine out her hand to seep through his shirt.

"Shit, I'm so sorry!" the woman exclaimed, quickly using her napkin to dab at his now ruined shirt, "Here, let me."

Ianto put his hands up to stop her, shaking his head and apologising profusely. "Its fine, its fine," he stepped back and offered her a tight smile, "I wasn't looking where I was going, it's my fault."

The women smiled and patted his cheek. "Even so, clumsy of me!" She stepped back to eye the mess she'd made of his crisp white shirt and tutted. "Better go change that shirt though love, you'll never get the stain out of white."

Ianto nodded his thanks and made to move around her, pulling his suit jacket across his chest to cover the stain. He'd already drawn far more attention to himself than was necessary, as if Owen _needed _anymore incentive to piss him off at work on Monday.

He glanced across at the toilets and noticed another group of his colleagues hovering at the door, two of the girls singing along badly to Katy Perry and the other already so drunk she could barely stand.

Well that was a no-go then.

He turned his attention back to the drinks, grabbing another beer from the bucket in front of him. He closed his eyes and downed half the bottle in one go, barely pausing for breath before knocking back the rest. He slammed the bottle back down on the table with a bit more force than was necessary and dug about in his pocket for his pack of Marlboro Gold. Ianto hated the awful habit really, but he'd made a deal with his conscience to quit when he found something better to fill his time. Right now this job was all he had.

The Cardiff night air was bitterly cold as he fought to push the fire exit door shut against the wind. He cringed as he felt his now wine-soaked shirt stick to the bare skin of his stomach and attempted to pull his jacket even tighter across his chest. When that plan failed he ducked his head and moved slowly around the building to find a more shaded area, fishing a lighter out from his pocket.

As he neared the front of the building he came across a small porch where a few of the more 'upper class' gentlemen from his department were huddled together having a smoke. He stood as far away from them as possible and lit his own cigarette with a flick of the thumb, closing his eyes to inhale the first drag. He watched the smoke curl in front of his eyes and smiled. _That_ was what he needed.

He was so wrapped up in his own bliss he barely noticed the familiar footsteps approach him from behind or the man that came to a halt behind him, right in his personal space. In fact, none of this became apparent until he felt hot breath ghost over the back of his neck...

"Put that cigarette out, Mr Jones," a deep, husky voice half whispered in his ear and Ianto would've jumped out his skin had the other man not been standing so close. As it was, Ianto just let his eyes drift shut and cursed softly under his breath. This could _not_ be happening...

"I'm glad you could make it," the voice spoke again, "I wasn't expecting you to show y'know."

It took Ianto a moment to register those words as the other man was still standing a lot closer than was really professional for boss and employee. Although when he thought about it, nothing was really professional about Jack Harkness.

Chucking the last of his cigarette on the ground he slowly turned to face the older man, taking a step back to put some space between them. Jack grinned at him and leaned against the pillar, his hands automatically slipping into his trouser pockets. A similar pose to the one he pulled at work every day, usually when he wanted something he knew Ianto wasn't going to give him.

"Well, you didn't exactly give me much choice in the matter sir," Ianto stated coolly, his own hands soon finding their way to his pockets. Jack raised an eyebrow as his grin grew even wider, flashing his perfect pearly whites. Ianto swallowed as he felt the familiar nervous flutter in his stomach and was soon wishing he hadn't finished that cigarette quite so quickly.

"And where would be the fun in that? I'm the boss, remember?" he moved closer to Ianto and Ianto took a step back, trying his hardest to keep as much distance between them as possible. The move caused Jack to sigh and roll his eyes.

"Oh come on Ianto, enough with the formalities. We're not in the office now."

Ianto shrugged slightly, "You're still my boss, Jack."

Jack smirked and moved closer yet again, though this time Ianto stayed rooted to the spot, desperate to maintain his calm exterior.

"That I am, Ianto Jones," he reached out a hand to wrap the Welshman's deep red silk tie between his fingers and Ianto suddenly found it a lot harder to breathe. Christ, how on earth did Jack do this to him? Couldn't he find someone else to stalk?

Stepping back once again, Ianto pulled the tie from Jack's grasp and folded his arms across his chest to form a barrier. Jack chuckled and _finally _moved out Ianto's personal space, his eyes never leaving the younger man's.

"You know," Jack began, "maybe I should order you to do things more often, you usually just say no when I ask," he paused and bit his lip. Ianto knew e_xactly_ where this was going. "Like, say, if I _asked _you to have dinner with me tomorrow night...you'd say no, right?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and dropped his arms to his side with an exasperated sigh. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"What if I make it an order?" Jack asked hopefully. Ianto smirked.

"Not in the office now, remember?"

"Then I'll just ask again on Monday," said Jack with a small, smug grin. He really didn't give in without a fight...

"You already tried that one too. My answer still stands and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop playing these silly games in the office, sir. I think some people in our department are jumping to the wrong conclusions about us."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "You mean, Owen still thinks we're shagging like rabbits in the stationary cupboard?"

Ianto couldn't help but smile at that. "Got it in one, sir."

Jack laughed, "Well, it's a shame we're not really," he put up a hand to stop Ianto interrupting and went on. "Though, if it's really bothering you I could have a word with him on Monday?"

"If it's not too much trouble, sir"

Jack smiled and shook his head, moving into Ianto's personal space once again. "Nothing's too much trouble for you, Ianto. Though, maybe in return you could rethink your decision regarding dinner tomorrow night?"

Ianto let out a breath and chewed on his lip, the part of him which was dying to say yes overpowering the bigger part of him which knew getting involved with Jack would only lead to heartbreak. It wasn't fair of Jack to ask him now, not when he was stood mere inches away from him, the tension sizzling between them. God, Jack smelt amazing. If Ianto just moved his head forward a tiny...

No. Now was definitely not the time to be having these thoughts, Ianto decided. He quickly stepped back, much to Jack's disappointment, and put his hands on his hips. Jack didn't say a word, just waited patiently for him to speak.

"I'm sorry Jack, but I really don't think that's a good idea. Maybe if things were different—" he paused to try and phrase the words in his head, running a hand through his hair. "Look, now's just not a good time for me, okay?"

Jack nodded but said nothing and Ianto couldn't help but feel a little guilty for the slightly crestfallen expression on the older man's face. He hurriedly changed the subject before they could fall into an uncomfortable silence.

"Listen, I think I'm gonna head off. I've uh, got an early start tomorrow," he offered Jack a tight smile and a nod. "Have a good weekend, Jack"

"Thanks, Ianto. You too," Jack responded quietly, before he turned on his heel without another word and headed back into the party. Ianto watched him go and sighed. It really was getting harder and harder to say no to Jack, especially since the man was so persistent. He'd been flirting nonstop with Ianto since day one, constantly inviting him to dinner or the movies and never really taking no for an answer. Ianto was sure Jack just wanted him because he was the one person in their department who _hadn't _fallen head over heels for his charm and devastatingly good looks. At least, that's what Ianto told himself.

It didn't matter either way. Even if Jack's feelings for him w_ere _genuine, Ianto could never give the older man what he wanted. Getting involved with someone meant facing up to the past. Facing up to the past meant telling the truth, and there were some truths that were best left unsaid.

Because if Jack found out the truth, that would likely be the end of everything.

Jack would never look at him in the same way again.


	2. Chapter 2

When Ianto Jones woke, it was to the sensation of something cold and wet pressed against the side of his face.

For a moment he let it stay there, too content to open his eyes or attempt to move, but when the thing began to slowly nudge Ianto away from the warmth of his bed and onto the cold hard floor, Ianto decided enough was enough.

Lifting his knees up to his chest, he used his feet to push at the force currently occupying _his _half of the king sized bed and used his hands to grip the duvet, tugging it with all his might. After a brief but violent struggle, he finally got the duvet to himself, only for Myfanwy to suddenly plonk herself down on top of him.

Ianto sighed and gave up, reaching out to rub gently behind the dogs ears. Myfanwy nuzzled happily into his hand and Ianto smiled warmly, wondering how he'd ever survived without her. He'd never planned to get a dog or a pet of any kind for that matter. Myfanwy had belonged to his gran and Ianto had always made a fuss of her when he visited, taking her out for walks when his gran was too tired or ill. When she died of lung cancer three years back, taking care of Myfanwy had felt like the right thing to do. It was one of the few decisions he'd made in his life that he wouldn't change for the world.

As Myfanwy shifted to get comfy, Ianto lay back against the pillows and was soon drifting off into a light sleep. The moments peace was disturbed, however, when the loud vibrations of his phone alarm sounded on the bedside table, almost startling the life out of him. Myfanwy instantly jumped up and bounded across the bedroom, sitting patiently by the door as she waited for Ianto to follow. Ianto groaned and sat up, blindly reaching out to switch the alarm off before batting it off the side and onto the floor.

Another Monday morning, and Ianto had a feeling it was gonna be a bad one.

*

Ianto inhaled a deep breath and adjusted his tie as the lift reached his floor. He was already twenty minutes late after hitting traffic on the way and he was hoping to just head straight to the coffee machine without being noticed.

Apparently that was too much to ask.

"Oi, coffee boy!"

Ianto stopped in his tracks and sighed as he turned to face the source of the voice. "Yes, Owen?"

"If you're not too busy blowing the boss or organising your stamp collection or whatever it is you do in the mornings that makes you half an hour late, think I could get a coffee some time today?"

Ianto shot him a glare but bit back his retort, responding with a simple nod and continuing on his way over to the kitchenette. There wasn't much else he could do against Owen's sniping really; Owen was Jack's right hand man and had arrived at the company long before Ianto. He dealt with the agency's bigger and wealthier clients, the kind whose coffee Ianto always felt the urge to spit in when they were at a meeting in the office. Owen wasn't much better really, though Ianto couldn't deny that he was good at his job, even if he was an utter arsehole.

As he reached the kitchenette he flicked the switch on the coffee machine and began collecting everyone's mugs from the shelf, smiling as he found the weekly yellow post-it note stuck to Jack's.

_Pop Quiz! The best way to start a Monday morning!_

_Question 1: What will Ianto Jones be doing after work tonight?_

_Eating dinner with Jack._

_Eating dinner off Jack. _

_Having Jack eat dinner off __**him**__. _

_All of the above._

_Look, I've even left a pen on the side for you to circle your answer with. _

_Don't keep me waiting ;)_

_J.x_

Ianto smirked and shook his head, folding the post-it note up and slipping it into his pocket. Not that he was actually going to do anything about it, except maybe leave a note on Jack's desk in return about 'harassment in the workplace'.

Or maybe take it home and stick it on the fridge next to all the other post-it notes from Jack, but his boss certainly didn't need to know about that.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a quiet knock at the door and peered over his shoulder to find Jack's second hand _woman, _Gwen Cooper hovering in the doorway.

"Morning, love," she greeted him cheerfully, moving further into the room to lean against the counter. "Good weekend?"

Ianto shrugged as he began pouring milk into the mugs. "Nothing special really, did you and Rhys do anything nice for Valentine's day?"

Gwen smiled and ducked her head. "Oh you know, nothing much..." she paused and Ianto raised an eyebrow, a small knowing smile on his face. It didn't take long for her to crack and she quickly burst into a long and detailed story of her weekend with the husband. Ianto smiled and nodded in all the right places as he began to pour the coffees, his mind soon drifting off to other things...namely Jack.

That probably wasn't a good thing, he realised.

Gwen finished her story and batted Ianto lightly on the arm. "Anyway, once you're quite finished day dreaming...is one of those coffees for me?"

Ianto felt himself blush a little and nodded, carefully passing Gwen's mug to her. Gwen took a small sip and sighed happily, reaching out to gently squeeze Ianto's arm in thanks. "You're a life saver, Ianto; I don't know how I ever got through the day without your coffee."

Ianto felt the blush on his cheeks deepen; he'd never been good with compliments. He didn't know what to do with them.

"Well, I better go hand the rest out," he said quickly, gathering all the mugs onto one tray. "Have a good day, Gwen."

"You too, Ianto," Gwen replied with a smile as Ianto stepped around her, making quick work of dispensing the mugs on everyone's desks before he made his way to Jack's office.

He took a deep breath before knocking, preparing himself for...well, Jack. Even after working with the man for two years he was still taking some getting used to, especially first thing on a Monday morning.

Jack grinned when he saw it was Ianto at the door, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the desk. His hands came to rest behind his head as he eyed the younger man up and down.

"Well, my morning just got better," he said with a leer and a wink. "You know how much I love you in pinstripes; I'm beginning to think you wear them just to tease me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," Ianto replied calmly as he placed Jack's coffee on the desk. "Anything else I can get for you?"

Jack's eyes lit up mischievously and Ianto quickly put up a hand to stop him from speaking. "Actually, forget I said that."

"Oh, one of these days Ianto," said Jack, smirking into his coffee. Ianto's hands went to his hips as he tried to maintain his composure.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, sir."

"Well I'm sure you'll work it out. Did you answer my note this morning?"

Ianto sighed and pulled the note from his pocket, flinging it down onto the desk in front of Jack.

"What did we talk about on Friday, sir?" Ianto asked, slightly exasperated. Jack frowned and chewed his lip in thought.

"We talked about a lot of things on Friday, Ianto. Can you be more specific?"

Ianto clenched his teeth and folded his arms across his chest. "You know what I mean, Jack."

"I—"Jack went to reply but was interrupted by Owen Harper suddenly barging through the door, cursing loudly as he dropped the large pile of papers he'd been holding onto. He shot Ianto a death glare as he bent to pick them up and Ianto quickly dismissed himself with a nod in Jack's direction, eager to get away from the older man.

Stepping quickly around Owen, he made his way out the door and began walking towards the lift.

He had one last coffee to deliver yet.

*

Ianto always liked spending time in the design department. It was quieter, more organised and generally less hectic than his office. Not that it was technically his job to bring coffee for anyone up here, but there was one person he liked to do it for anyway.

As he reached the small studio where she worked independently, he balanced the tray in one hand and knocked lightly on the door. Toshiko Sato looked up from her computer and gestured for him to come in, smiling warmly. Ianto stepped through and gently pushed the door closed with his foot, moving forward to place the tray down on the desk.

"Morning," she spoke softly, reaching for her coffee as Ianto sat down in the seat beside her. "You're in late today." Ianto snorted.

"Well you try driving here from the other side of Cardiff first thing on a Monday morning," he replied a little harshly. Toshiko raised a questioning eyebrow at his tone and Ianto shot her a small apologetic smile. "Sorry Tosh, just not having the best of mornings."

Tosh nodded, "Owen again?"

"How'd you guess?"

Tosh shrugged and sipped her coffee. "You shouldn't let him get to you y'know, I'm sure he doesn't mean it personally."

"Doesn't mean it personally? Have you met Owen?!"

"Yeah but," she paused and bit her lip, contemplating her next words carefully. "Maybe he's just lonely..."

Ianto glanced sidelong at her, his lips morphing into a half smile and Tosh quickly turned back to her computer in an attempt to hide her face.

"I knew it!" Ianto exclaimed, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin. "You fancy him!"

Tosh quickly turned a bright shade of pink. "I don't necessarily fancy him," she defended herself. "I just think that underneath it all he's probably a nice guy."

"Uh huh..."

Tosh ignored him. "Anyway, don't you have work to be doing?!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Ianto sighed and stood up, tucking the tray under his arm. "Pub tonight?"

Tosh nodded, "I'll meet you downstairs after work."

"Shall I let Owen know you're coming?"

Tosh scowled and lobbed her pen at his back as he made a quick escape through the door, chuckling softly under his breath. Out of all his colleagues at work, Tosh was probably the only one he'd call a genuine friend. They'd been friends long before he even got the job at the agency; Tosh had recommended it when he'd been desperately looking for work and had sorted everything out for him, even arranging the interview. If it wasn't for her he'd probably just be flipping burgers or stacking shelves in Tesco's.

Tucking his hands into his pockets, he made his way back over to the lift, preparing himself for the three hundred phone calls he had to make by lunchtime. He didn't get far however before he heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction and lifted his head to see none other than Jack Harkness heading straight towards him. Ianto groaned inwardly, he was starting to get a little unnerved by Jack sneaking up on him all the time.

"Well, fancy seeing you here," Jack said, grinning suggestively as he stopped right in front of the Welshman.

"What are the chances?" Ianto deadpanned, attempting to move around Jack and avoid any further conversation.

"I was just looking for Toshiko, is she about?"

"She's in her studio," Ianto responded quickly, trying a second time to walk around the man to reach the lift. Jack grinned and turned to admire the view as Ianto went, allowing himself a moment to fantasize about all the things the two of them could get up to in that lift...

If only Ianto would let them.

The doors closed and Jack soon snapped back to reality, turning back to the task at hand. Toshiko.

Tosh was hard at work when Jack popped his head around the door and he couldn't help but smile at the look of concentration on her face. Toshiko had always been passionate about her work, that's why Jack had hired her in the first place. He hadn't found anyone else even remotely like her since starting at the company and he doubted he ever would. Tosh was one of a kind.

"Hey Tosh," he spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb her too much. Tosh greeted him with that same heart warming smile he received every morning and pulled out the chair for him to sit.

"Hey Jack, I was hoping you'd pop in today," she adjusted her glasses and turned back to her computer to pull up a few windows. "I've been working on some ideas for that new ad campaign I was hoping to run through you at some point, are you free now?"

Jack glanced at his watch and nodded. "You're in luck, but it'll have to be quick. I've got a meeting in half an hour with Mr Croft," he rolled his eyes and made a face. "And you know what he's like; he'll have my balls in a vice if I'm late."

Tosh giggled. "I'll be as quick as I can," she pulled up Photoshop and grabbed a couple sheets of A3 from her draw as Jack contemplated asking his next question.

"So Tosh...you and Ianto; you're good friends, right?"

Tosh couldn't stop herself from smiling at that, "Right?"

"Well I was just wondering if uh, I mean, is he seeing anyone?"

Tosh turned to face him then and Jack quickly avoided her eyes, turning his attention to her computer screen instead. Tosh stifled a laugh. Jack Harkness was _nervous. _

"Not that I know of, he'd tell me if he was. Why?"

Jack shrugged, "He just seems a little weird around the subject of relationships, I just wondered if there was a reason for it?"

Tosh chewed on the end of her pen as she tried to phrase the words in her head. Ianto would kill her if she said too much.

"Look, Jack, his last relationship ended...badly, to say the least. He doesn't really like talking about it."

Jack frowned, "How do you mean, badly?"

Tosh sighed, "It's really not my place to say, Jack. I don't think he's even told _me _about everything that happened and I doubt he ever will."

Jack nodded but said nothing and Tosh quickly turned back to her computer, clearly eager to change the subject. Jack half listened as she began to talk about her work, bringing up images to show him, but his mind was on other things.

He didn't know what it was about Ianto Jones, but something about him intrigued Jack. Maybe Tosh wouldn't tell him about Ianto's past, but he was going to find out one way or another.

He wasn't giving up without a fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Sorry this is a little late, life gets in the way. ****Cheers for the feedback on the last couple chapters though, I'm so glad people are enjoying it!**

Ianto couldn't remember the last time a Monday had dragged on for this long or been so incredibly boring. It felt like days had passed since he got up that morning and it wasn't even four o'clock yet.

He didn't even have a lot to do. He was currently sorting out Jack's schedule for the week in his diary but even that was pretty quiet, he would have to start running into Tuesday's tasks soon. Owen had always mocked him for planning his days out so carefully, but Ianto just took that as more incentive to serve him decaf as and when he felt like it.

As if on cue, Gwen appeared out of nowhere at his side, holding onto her coffee mug with a smile that clearly said she wanted something.

Coffee, it would seem. Well that would keep him busy for another five or ten minutes - maybe even twenty; Ianto was a perfectionist after all.

As the coffee brewed he planned in his head what he was going to do that night and soon found his mind drifting back to the post-it note Jack had left him that morning, pondering the options the older man had given him. Jack was sneaking into his thoughts far too often recently. Usually when he was bored. Or alone. Or just within a ten mile radius of the man...

This really was getting out of hand.

He was startled from his thoughts by someone clearing their throat behind him and spun around to come face to face with the last person he wanted to see. Owen.

Just what he needed...

"Dobbing on me to the teacher now are we, Jones?"

Ianto frowned in confusion, "What?"

Owen snorted and moved further into the room. "Don't play innocent with me; I just had a nice little chat with Jack about you."

_Shit. _Ianto swallowed, he'd forgotten about that...

Owen smirked and leaned against the counter, one eyebrow raised. "I guess you're not shagging him after all."

"You finally caught on to that, did you?" Ianto asked sarcastically, wanting this conversation to end as soon as possible. Owen wasn't done yet though.

"You want to know how I worked it out?"

Ianto sighed, "Do enlighten me."

"Well," Owen began, "if you were shagging him, he wouldn't give two shits about what I or anyone else had to say to you. In fact, he wouldn't give two shits about you in general, you know why?" Ianto shrugged. Owen went on, "Because this is all a game to Jack. All he wants is to fuck you and once he's done that he'll move on to the next."

Ianto crossed his arms across his chest and tried to act like he couldn't care less what Owen thought. "Again, you seem to know an awful lot about this."

Owen scoffed, "I've just seen it happen before, again and again. You're nothing special to him, Ianto Jones," he pushed himself off the counter and moved towards the door. "Once he's had you, you'll be out of here and he'll just be hiring the next pretty thing to walk through that door."

Ianto clenched his teeth and turned back to the coffee before he could lash out. As Owen turned away from the door and headed back down the corridor, Ianto finally let his anger out and slammed Gwen's mug down so hard that the handle came off in his hand.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair as he threw the handle in the bin. He didn't even know why he was mad. Even if Owens words were true, what did it matter to him? It's wasn't like anything was going to happen between him and Jack, they were just boss and employee.

That was it. It had to be.

*

After his encounter with Owen, the end of the day couldn't come quick enough. He actually let out a sigh of relief when the lift doors opened to reveal Toshiko, black trench coat on and ready to go. He had to stifle a laugh as she not-so-subtly glanced about the office, clearly looking out for Owen.

"Tosh?" he called out, grinning as her head snapped back around to face him. "You ready?"

Tosh nodded, looking slightly awkward at having been caught. Ianto grabbed his own coat and moved to join her, dropping his mug into the sink in the kitchenette as he went.

"Looking for someone?" he whispered as he slipped into his coat. Tosh stayed silent so Ianto went on," He's not worth it, Tosh, believe me. Now can we get out of here?"

Tosh sighed, "What's he done now?"

Ianto shook his head and dragged her towards the lift. "It's not important, let's just go."

*

As Tosh went to order the drinks, Ianto stopped outside the pub for a cigarette. He'd lost track of how many he'd smoked that day but he figured it must be nearing the twenty mark. That should probably be a sign to quit, but Ianto still couldn't give himself a good enough reason to, especially after today.

He thought back to what Owen said about Jack. It made sense really; Jack flirted with everyone in the office and had probably slept with more than a few of them too. He wasn't really interested in Ianto, why would he be?

Ianto was just another one to tick off the list.

Sighing, he chucked the last of his cigarette on the ground and headed into the pub to find Tosh. She was sat at their usual table in the corner by the window, sipping her wine and glancing about the room. Ianto smiled; there were at least five men in the pub checking her out that he could see. Tosh always got a lot of male attention when they went out in the evenings, but she was completely oblivious to it.

"You know," Ianto began as he sat down opposite her, "maybe you should forget about Owen for one night and go find yourself a real man," he gestured towards one of the men he'd spotted giving her the eye and grinned. "He looks like he'd be up for it."

Tosh glared and slapped him lightly on the arm. "Don't stare!"

Ianto smirked and took a large gulp of his beer, "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt to get out for once."

"I go out all the time!" Tosh argued, quickly looking for a way to move the subject away from her. "And it's not like you can talk."

"I don't have time for a relationship," Ianto insisted, turning to stare out the window in the hope that Tosh would just drop it.

"Yeah, right," she downed the rest of her wine and grinned. "That reminds me; guess who was asking about you today?"

Ianto shrugged and sipped his beer. Tosh's grin grew even wider as she spoke, "Jack."

Ianto frowned, "What was he asking?"

"He wanted to know if you were single, I told him as far as I knew you were and then he--" she paused as Ianto's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Why did you tell him that?" Ianto asked, a hint of accusation in his voice.

"Well you are, aren't you?"

Ianto sighed, "Well, yeah, but the word 'single' also implies that I'm 'available'...which I'm not."

Tosh rolled her eyes, "Why do you have to make everything so complicated? He's really into you y'know."

Ianto snorted into his drink, "No, he _wants _to be, but it's not gonna happen."

"He was also asking about your...past relationships," she bit her lip and dropped her gaze to the table. Ianto stared at her.

"And what did you say, Tosh?"

Tosh flinched at the anger in his tone, "Just that...your last one ended badly. He wanted to know more but that's all I said, honest."

Ianto clenched his jaw and looked away, gripping his glass like a vice. "He had no right to ask..."

"I think he's just concerned about you, Ianto."She hesitated a moment, "We both are..."

"Oh, well it's nice to know you've been discussing my personal life with our _boss,_" he snapped, banging his empty glass down on the table and pushing his stool out. Tosh winced as the stool scraped the floor, watching as Ianto dug his cigarettes from his coat pocket once again and headed towards the door. Sighing, she stood to follow, grabbing her coat as she went.

Ianto was already halfway down the street when she reached him, taking desperate long drags on his cigarette. She grabbed a handful of his coat to stop him going any further and linked her arm through his.

"I wish you'd stop that, Ianto," said Tosh wistfully, plucking the cigarette from his fingers. Ianto ignored her and pulled another from the packet.

"I will when you stop mothering me," he muttered, pulling his arm from Tosh's grip to lean against the wall. Tosh moved to stand next to him, leaning slightly against his side.

"Why won't you just give Jack a chance?" Tosh questioned, nudging him gently with her elbow. "I mean, he's been trying for what - 2 years now? Surely that says something?"

"Yeah," Ianto replied bitterly, "It says he wants to shag me."

"I think it means he likes you," she turned to face him and pulled the second cigarette from his hand, dropping it into the gutter. "And I think you like him too."

Ianto sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging forward. "There's more to it than that though..."

Tosh smiled in understanding and squeezed his hand gently. "I know, Ianto."

"No, Tosh, you don't know all of it. I can't just...forget."

"No one's asking you to forget, but it doesn't mean you have to keep dwelling on the past." She slipped into her coat and pulled it tight across her chest. "Maybe it's time to move on."

Ianto didn't respond, keeping his gaze fixed on his feet. There may have been some truth in what Tosh said, but there were still things she didn't know about. Things he could never tell her...

"I better head home and sort some dinner out, mums visiting tonight." She pulled Ianto into a brief hug and pecked him on the cheek. "Will you think about what I said?"

Ianto nodded, a slight smile pulling at his lips, "Sure, Tosh."

She offered him a small smile of her own and turned to cross the street, soon disappearing into the distance. Ianto sighed and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, making his way back to his car.

If there was one thing Tosh and Owen definitely _did _have in common, it was the ability to confuse the hell out of him. Now he had no idea what to think. Giving Jack a chance could help him to come out of his shell and stop hiding in the dark, maybe even help him to feel _happy _again.

But if it backfired...well, he didn't even want to consider the consequences.

Either way, he couldn't keep hiding forever.

Starting tomorrow, things were going to change.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto arrived dead on time to work the next day, having left the house twenty minutes earlier than usual. He wore one of his favourite suits; pinstripes (not because of Jack, he told himself) accompanied with a deep red shirt and black silk tie. Applying a small amount of product, he spent longer than normal styling his hair a little neater than usual before checking his reflection in the mirror.

Even he had to admit he looked good.

On arriving at his department he headed straight to the kitchenette to make the first coffees of the day, grateful Owen hadn't arrived yet to flatten his good mood. He made swift work of preparing everyone's coffee the way they liked it and gathering them all onto one tray, ready to deliver to their desks. On reaching Owen's office, he was delighted to note the other man still hadn't arrived yet. He glanced at his watch and smirked. Owen was _late. _

"Whoa, Ianto," Gwen exclaimed as Ianto approached her desk, "you look...hot!"

Ianto smiled and tried his hardest not to blush, even as he felt Gwen's eyes boring into him, taking in his every move. He quickly placed her coffee down and straightened up, his hands finding their way to his pockets. Gwen grinned her big, toothy, grin and reached for the mug.

"So, who are you trying to impress?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows as she sipped her coffee. Ianto suddenly found himself feeling a little self conscious.

"No one." He responded a little too quickly, "Why? Do you think it's too much?"

Gwen laughed at that. "Of course not! I'm just saying, if I weren't married..." she raised one eyebrow and eyed him up and down and Ianto could feel the flush creeping up his neck. He cleared his throat and stepped back, balancing the tray in one hand as he moved to leave. Gwen just carried on giggling into her coffee.

"Have a good day, Ianto," she called after him and in a brief moment of boldness, Ianto turned and offered her a small smile and a wink, before making his way to Jack's office.

The door was open when he reached it and Jack was facing away from him in his chair, engaged in what appeared to be a pretty heated phone call.

"Yes, Mrs Adams, I know you're—What? No! I've never—" He paused as Ianto cleared his throat and quickly spun around in his chair, his heart beating that little bit quicker as he took in the sight of the Welshman. Ianto leaned against the doorframe, allowing the older man a few moments to gape before he moved further into the room and placed Jack's coffee down on the desk. Jack watched his every move, his jaw practically hitting the desk as Ianto walked gracefully around it to perch next to Jack's chair...close enough to touch.

Unfortunately there was still some old cow squawking down the phone at him, preventing him from truly appreciating the view. Well, he'd put a stop to that.

"Sorry, Mrs Adams, but I'm afraid something's come up. I'm gonna have to call you back." He ignored the insults and shouting as he hung up and placed the phone back on the hook, turning his full attention to the man in front of him.

"You shouldn't have done that," Ianto scolded light heartedly, his hands coming to rest in his lap to avoid Jack's wandering ones. Jack grinned.

"You can't exactly blame me when you walk into my office looking like that," Jack replied, giving a light tug on Ianto's tie as he leant back in his chair. Ianto did his best to appear unphased by the contact, even as he felt his hands trembling slightly in his lap. He entwined his fingers in an attempt to hide it and fixed his professional mask back in place.

"Just thought we should run through your schedule for the day, sir," Ianto spoke coolly, picking up the diary from a stack of papers behind him. "Have you got a minute?"

"I've got more than a minute for you," said Jack. "Though I do have one request."

Ianto raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"

"Well," Jack began, digging a small card out from his draw, "you know that new ad campaign I've got Tosh and her lot working on?"

"For the fundraiser?" Jack nodded, handing the card over to Ianto.

"I'm having dinner with Mr Bennett in a couple weeks to discuss our ideas, and I could do with someone there to take notes for me," he gestured to the card in Ianto's hand. "Those are the details if you think you'd be up for it?"

Ianto was a little speechless, "Me? But isn't that Owen's job or something?"

"It's the secretary's job, and you're my secretary are you not?"

Ianto shrugged, "I guess---"

"Excellent! Now that's sorted, where were we?" He reached for the diary to indicate that the subject was closed. Ianto decided to just go with it, since it had become clear that Jack never gave up once he got an idea in his head.

As he began to talk Jack through the schedule, he couldn't help but notice the older man's eyes wandering away from the page to examine Ianto instead. Ianto ignored it at first and carried on talking, but eventually the burning sensation of being watched became a bit too much.

"Sir, are you listening?"

Jack blinked and stared at him, "Hmm?"

Ianto leaned back, smiling fondly, "You just seemed a little distracted."

"Sorry, Ianto," Jack forced himself back to reality and the diary. "Do go on, that wasn't very professional of me."

Ianto raised an eyebrow, "It's okay, I'm done for now. Was there anything else you needed?"

Jack smiled playfully, "Well, I could do with dinner tonight, around 8pm at that little Italian place by the bay, but for now that'll be fine." He winked and turned back to his paperwork.

Ianto swallowed and considered his next words carefully. "Was that an offer?"

Jack paused in his writing for a second before his eyes shot back up to meet Ianto's, "Has been for the past two years..."

Ianto nodded, reaching for the diary as he stood up and made his way towards the door. Jack was a little confused by the move until Ianto paused in his tracks and turned his head back to face him, one hand leaning against the doorframe.

"I'll think about it, Jack," Jack's eyes widened at this response but Ianto was gone before he was able to form words, leaving the boss alone to wander what in the hell just happened.

*

Tosh stared as Ianto stepped through the door with her coffee, her eyes darting up and down to take in his appearance. She briefly wondered -and not for the first time - how nothing had ever happened between them over all the years they'd known each other. She quickly pushed that thought away as he shot her a questioning look. Now was not the time.

"Well, this is different," she commented as he carefully passed her the mug and took a seat next to her. "It's Tuesday morning and you look like...that."

"Just felt like a change, is all," he sipped his own coffee and glanced at her over the rim of the mug. "What?"

"You look pretty happy with yourself," she said, eyebrows raised in suspicion. "What's happened?"

"Why do you always assume something's up whenever I'm happy?" Ianto questioned, innocently fiddling with a pile of papers on Tosh's desk. Tosh just gave him a look and Ianto managed to last a total of three seconds before he caved. "Fine," he said with a sigh, "Jack asked me out this morning."

"Doesn't Jack ask you out most mornings?"

"Yeah but," a small secretive smile formed on Ianto's face, "this time I didn't say no."

Tosh almost choked on her coffee and Ianto had to quickly grab the mug to stop her from spilling it all over her work. She pulled a tissue from the box and wiped a few small droplets from the table before she turned her attention back to Ianto.

"You said yes?!"

Ianto bit his lip, "Not exactly, I said I'd think about it."

Tosh gawped at him a moment before grabbing her magazine from the side and batting him across the arm with it. "You're going to say _yes_, right?!"

"I'm going to think about it!" Ianto pouted and rubbed his arm, "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes." Tosh insisted, spinning around in her chair to face the computer, "Now stop being such a child and go get yourself a date."

Ianto sighed, "I'm not sure, Tosh. What if I go and it's really awkward? We'll spend the whole night avoiding each other and then Jack will probably find some pretty waitress and—ow!" he cried as Tosh used the magazine once again to smack him across the head. "Jesus, Tosh!"

"I don't want to hear another word about it, Ianto," Tosh spoke firmly, keeping the magazine rolled up in her hand as a warning. "Just say _yes_ for Christ's sake, you can worry about it later."

Ianto went to speak but thought better of it as he noticed Tosh's hand tighten around the magazine. Sighing, he reached for the tray and stood up to leave, stopping as he felt a gentle hand on his arm.

"You don't have to feel guilty, Ianto," she said softly, "you know...for her."

_You have no idea, _thought Ianto, gritting his teeth. Why did Tosh have to ruin the moment?

"I'd rather not talk about it, to be honest," he replied, offering her a tight smile before he made his way over to the door. Tosh noticed the way his shoulders tensed slightly and chose to drop it, moving the subject back to Jack instead.

"Ianto," she called after him with a grin, "I take it you won't be coming to the pub tonight then?"

Ianto ignored her, responding only with a wave over his shoulder before he kicked the door open and continued on his way back to his department.

He had a message to deliver.

*

There were many advantages to being the boss, Jack pondered as he leaned forward in his chair to rest his head in his hands. One of the things on that long list, he decided, was being allowed to look bored during a meeting without anyone saying a word.

He glanced up towards the man who was speaking, obviously a little put off by Jack's reaction but carrying on none the less. Jack was past the point of caring now, he'd stopped listening about an hour ago; Owen would fill him in when the meeting was over.

If it was _ever_ over.

He let his eyes drift shut for a moment, subtly (or what he hoped was subtle) covering his face with one hand to hide it from the group. It would be so easy to just drift off for a few minutes...just until the meeting was over...

"Right!" a voice startled him back to the present, "I think that's it for today, unless anyone has any questions?"

Jack groaned inwardly, shooting a look to the rest of his team that clearly said 'ask questions and you're fired'. Thankfully, they remained silent and shook their heads as they gathered their things together. Jack gave a sigh of relief and stood to make his escape.

He dismissed Owen when he tried to follow him into his office, telling him to come back in ten minutes after he'd had a coffee. He'd expected to have to go make his own, since he hadn't seen Ianto all day, so was surprised when he noticed his mug already full to the brim on his desk. It was fresh, if the steam rising from the top was anything to go by and as he got nearer he realised there was something attached to it.

A yellow post-it note.

He raised an eyebrow and peeled it off, his heart doing somersaults as he read the message.

_Thought about it._

_It's a yes._

*

Ianto almost forgot how to walk when he stepped out the office to pick up lunch and had to quickly grab hold of the nearest bench to stop himself falling. What was he _thinking_ agreeing to a date with _Jack Harkness? _He hadn't been on a date since...well, an extremely long time ago. Now he was going to dinner with his _boss_ of all people.

He took a deep breath and attempted to cross the road, his palms sweating as he stuffed them in his pockets and clutched onto the material of his suit trousers. Having a nervous breakdown in the middle of Cardiff definitely wasn't going to help matters and he still had Jack's lunch to pick up.

He made it across the road in one piece and stopped to figure out which way it was to Greggs, barely registering the fact he was standing in the middle of the pavement with people coming from all directions. On deciding that his brain really wasn't going to be any use to him for the next hour or so, he decided to just take a guess and turned to his left, only to walk smack bang into a much taller man coming from the opposite direction.

The man barely stopped to apologise as Ianto was nearly knocked off his feet, but Ianto still managed to catch a quick glimpse of his face as he hurried on by.

His heart nearly stopped in his chest as he did.

Quickly pulling himself back together, he straightened his tie and began pushing his way through the hordes of people to try and follow him. It was an impossible task really, trying to find one man in a sea of business men, all dressed in equally dull charcoal suits and all in a rush to be somewhere. He stopped and pushed himself up onto tiptoes, ignoring the grumbling as people tried to get past him.

The man had vanished.

Ianto frowned; surely he hadn't just imagined that?

He shook his head and began a slow walk to Greggs, his mind running through what had just happened over and over. Hopefully, he _had _just imagined it and he'd never run into the man again. Everything could go back to the way it was.

Because if he hadn't imagined it, then that could only mean one thing.

Maybe the past really was coming back to haunt him.


	5. Chapter 5

Ianto felt the urge to scream when he saw the mess he'd made of his once spotless bedroom. Various ties, shirts and waistcoats were strewn messily across the bed and at least four of his suit jackets were lying in a crumpled heap by the wardrobe.

He exhaled a long breath and slowly began to pick them up, cursing his boss for getting him so worked up over his _wardrobe choice _of all things. It was just dinner with Jack. It shouldn't be a big deal, especially since in the office Ianto was usually dressed smarter than Jack anyway.

He sighed and pulled a dark blue shirt from the pile on the bed, smoothing a hand down the front to get rid of the creases. Did he need to wear a tie? He wasn't sure what to expect from Jack, whether he'd keep it casual or go completely over board to try and impress him. Either way, he should be prepared.

He shrugged into the blue shirt, doing too many buttons up the first time, then not enough, then too many again. Sighing rather dramatically, he settled on leaving the first three buttons down and went to find a jacket to wear, slipping a plain black tie into his pocket.

His heart froze as he heard the doorbell sound.

"Fuck," he swore under his breath, quickly moving to the mirror to sort his hair out. That couldn't be Jack, could it? He hadn't even told the older man where he lived, agreeing to meet him on Roald Dahl Plass instead to avoid Jack nosying around his flat.

He glanced at his watch as the bell sounded again. No, it was too early to be Jack anyway; it must be the neighbours or something.

Sighing, he made his way to the door and pulled it open with a grumbled 'yes?' Only to come face to face with Toshiko holding up a yellow post it note. _His_ yellow post-it note.

Ianto stared at her, "Where did you find that?!"

"Does it matter?" She shot him a smug smile and pushed her way past him into the flat. "You said yes."

"I did," Ianto replied, pushing the door shut behind her with a click. "Can I get you anything? Or have you just popped around to gloat?"

Tosh ignored the question and asked one of her own. "Is that what you're wearing?"

Ianto frowned, "Yes actually. Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, just," she chewed on her lower lip, "It kinda looks like you've just thrown it on."

Ianto threw his arms up with an exasperated sigh, "Oh, well sorry I didn't feel the need to dress up for dinner like it's my goddamn wedding! Why does everyone have to make such a big deal out of this stuff?!"

Tosh looked more than a little startled by his outburst and Ianto quickly composed himself, his hands finding their way to his pockets as he took a deep breath.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his gaze falling to the floor. Tosh took pity on him and reached out to gently squeeze his arm.

"Nervous?"

Ianto went to make a smart remark but thought better of it when he saw Tosh's expression. She'd never buy it. Instead he simply nodded, clearing his throat a little awkwardly.

"It's just been a while since I've done this," he said quietly, suddenly feeling faintly ridiculous for his earlier outburst. Tosh nodded in understanding.

"All the more reason to make the most of it now then," she said, grabbing him by the arm and pushing him towards the bedroom. "Come on; let's see what we can find."

Ianto allowed himself to be pushed about, secretly a little relieved to have her help. She'd be getting biscuits with her coffee in the morning to make it up to her. Maybe he'd even put in a good word for her with Owen if he got around to it...

_Maybe. _

"Right," Tosh cut through his thoughts as she dug through the pile of shirts, "how about this purple one?" He looked up to find her pulling a dark purple shirt and a charcoal grey waistcoat from the pile on the bed. "Purple suits you."

Ianto gave a brief nod as he began to unbutton his shirt, folding it neatly before hanging it over the side of the bed. Tosh grinned and handed him the new one accompanied with the waistcoat, barely containing her excitement for him as he slipped into it.

Tosh had been right about the purple, he soon realised as he checked himself out in the mirror. He definitely looked better with a little more colour, and the waistcoat was particularly well cut on him too. He gave a little twirl and glanced at Tosh, who was still grinning madly at him. He was smiling too now, his earlier nerves replaced by excitement.

"So, how do I look?"

Tosh gave a little squeal and pulled him into a hug, being careful not to crease his suit. When she finally let him go she was biting her lip again, as if in thought.

"What is it?"

"I think it's missing something," she said, her eyes glancing around the room before settling on his trousers where his tie was hanging out the pocket. She grabbed it before Ianto had a chance to protest and began to tie it around his neck. "This!"

Ianto watched her finish her work before checking himself again in the mirror.

"Are you sure it's not too much?" He asked, anxiously fiddling with the buttons on his waistcoat. Tosh rolled her eyes and pulled him away from the mirror.

"You look _fine, _Ianto," she insisted as she dragged him to the bathroom. "Now we just need to sort your hair out."

Ianto went to grab his product from the shelf but was interrupted by his mobile ringing loudly in his pocket. He quickly fished it out and felt all his nerves come flooding back when he read the display.

_Jack._

"Five minutes," he told Tosh before he moved to the hall, closing the door shut behind him. He took a deep breath and slowly raised the phone to his ear.

"Hi Jack," he greeted him with all the calm he could muster, "Is everything okay?"

"_Hey you,_" Jack replied cheerfully, _"just ringing to ask if we could meet a little earlier?"_

"A lit...earlier?" Ianto stammered out. "You want to meet earlier?"

"_Is that okay? I mean it's okay if you don't want to, there was just a bit of a mix up with the table and it turns out we—"_

"Earlier's fine, Jack," Ianto cut in, smirking a little at the older man's babbling, "How much earlier were you thinking?"

"_Say half an hour at the same place?"_

"Sounds good," said Ianto, his heart hammering in his chest, "see you then."

"_Can't wait," _said Jack, ending the call before Ianto could reply. Ianto swallowed and let his arm drop to his side, his eyes fixated on the wall in front as Tosh stepped out from the bathroom to stand beside him.

"Ianto?"

Ianto blinked and snapped out of his daze, turning to regard Tosh even as his thoughts remained elsewhere. Tosh eyed him with more than a little intrigue, but remained silent as he attempted to form sentences.

"Need to uh... go. We should sort out my," he gestured to his hair and nodded once, pushing past Tosh to get to the bathroom. Tosh smirked and followed, rolling her eyes as she watched Ianto fumble with the hair wax.

"That was Jack, then?" She said, stifling a giggle as Ianto nearly dropped the whole tub at the mention of their Boss' name. He muttered something under his breath and shoved the tub into Tosh's hands.

"Hair now, mock me later."

*

Ianto arrived at the Plass five minutes early, even after seeing Tosh home first and checking his reflection in every car he passed on the journey. Jack still hadn't arrived, thankfully. Ianto needed time to gather his wits about him before Jack turned him into a nervous wreck again.

Glancing at his watch told him it was still early, but Ianto couldn't help but worry that Jack might not show up. He tapped his foot anxiously against the pavement as his mind ran through a million different scenarios for the evening. Jack standing him up. Jack _turning _up. Jack buying him dinner. Jack walking him home. Jack coming in for coffee...

His heart raced even faster as he contemplated that last one. He knew exactly what coffee would lead to...

"Evening, Mr Jones," a deep voice sounded in his ear from behind, startling him from his reverie. He heard Jack chuckle as he jumped forward in shock, the older man placing a warm hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Sorry," he grinned cheekily, "didn't mean to frighten you."

Ianto attempted a glare as his hand fell from where it was clasped over his heart, but Jack's smile soon flattened his anger. He tucked his hands into his coat pockets and ducked his head as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. The blush deepened as he felt Jack eyeing him up.

"You look good enough to eat, Ianto Jones. Maybe we won't be needing dinner after all," he winked and Ianto rolled his eyes. Jack really had no shame.

"Shall we then?" Ianto managed to say without stuttering, gesturing to nowhere in particular. Jack nodded.

"There's one thing I'd like to do first though," he said a little hesitantly, biting his lip as Ianto raised an eyebrow in question.

"Which is?"

"This," he moved forward into Ianto's personal space, one hand slipping beneath the younger man's suit Jacket to rest on his hip, while the other gently cradled his chin. Before Ianto could protest, Jack closed the distance between them and went to press their lips together, just missing and kissing the corner of his mouth instead. It was a little awkward, not like Ianto had ever imagined, but it still left him feeling flushed and breathless as Jack pulled away.

"Right, we can go now," he announced with a grin, turning on his heel and moving off, not looking back to see if Ianto was following. Ianto did, of course, once he'd got his breathing under control and adjusted his suit.

That really had been unexpected.

He caught up with Jack as they made their way towards the restaurant, carefully dodging gangs of students hanging outside the bars. Ianto let Jack guide him, finding it difficult to focus on anything really. He was still feeling dazed after Jack's kiss.

As they approached the restaurant, a small group of business men appeared around the corner, almost knocking Ianto out as he walked straight into one of them for the second time that day. The man apologised and carried on walking past and Ianto suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà-vu.

The man was so... familiar.

He blinked and took a few steps forward, contemplating following him until he felt Jack approach from behind.

"Ianto? You okay?"

Ianto frowned and turned to face him, meaning to reply but completely losing his train of thought as he felt Jack's warm hand slip into his own cold one.

The frown soon turned into a smile. He was on a date. And not just a date, a date with Jack Harkness of all people.

He entwined his fingers with the older mans and allowed him to lead the way, pushing all thoughts of the mysterious man to the back of his mind.

Nothing and no one was going to ruin this night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Glad you're all still enjoying this story :) Thanks for all the feedback! **

**Enjoy!**

The restaurant Jack chose was actually fairly quiet, despite being one of the top restaurants in Cardiff. Ianto had never been himself; far too pricey for his salary, but Jack had insisted on paying for everything so he'd decided to go along with it.

The evening was actually shaping up quite nicely so far. Jack had kept the flirting and touching to a minimum and was actually behaving the perfect gentleman. It had felt a little weird at first, but after a few glasses of wine Ianto was feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time.

Jack was currently regaling him with some outrageous story of his old job as a waiter, gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke. Ianto smiled and nodded in all the right places, stifling a laugh as Jack got so excited he nearly knocked his wine right off the table. Ianto grabbed it and steadied it in time and to his astonishment, Jack actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry," he mumbled, wiping a few drops from the table with his napkin, "I get a bit carried away sometimes."

Ianto smiled, "It's one of your finer qualities."

"You think so?" Jack looked rather pleased with himself at that. Ianto shook his head fondly.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone will you?"

Jack laughed and tapped his nose, "Your secrets safe with me."

Ianto grinned and sipped his wine as the waiter came to take their order, watching as Jack tried to pronounce the names on the menu. He really was trying his hardest and Ianto found himself wondering why he'd waited such a long time to agree to this.

"So," Jack began as the waiter left with the menus, "what were _you _doing before you came to work for me?"

Ianto shrugged, "Doesn't it tell you in my CV?"

Jack smiled and tilted his head slightly, "It does, but maybe I'd like to hear it from you."

"You're a strange one, Jack Harkness."

Jack grinned, "I'll take that as a compliment. Now come on, spill."

Ianto sighed. He should've known Jack would try and bring up the past, the one topic of conversation he'd wanted to avoid. Best to keep it as vague as possible, he decided. "Not much to tell really; just drifted between jobs for a couple years in London until I moved back to Cardiff and... what?" He asked when he noticed Jack giving him a look.

"Nothing," Jack shook his head, failing to hide a smile, "just, you really don't like talking about yourself do you?"

_Damn, he's good. _Ianto shrugged again and knocked back the last of his wine. "Why do you want to know?"

"Isn't that what you do on dates?" said Jack, his hand finding its way to the bread basket as he spoke. "Get to know each other?" He took a large bite out one of the rolls and Ianto had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as the crumbs scattered all over the table cloth. Jack had to be the messiest eater he'd ever come across.

"I guess. I'd rather listen to you, though."

Jack smirked, "Well, the thing about dating is it usually works better with two people, one can get a little boring," he winked and stuffed the last of the roll in his mouth. Ianto rolled his eyes. "Now come on, tell me something about yourself."

Ianto frowned, "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Anything. Your favourite colour."

Ianto still looked a little unsure but answered all the same, "Blue. Reminds me of the sea."

"Really?" Jack grinned, "Funny, 'cause that's how I imagine you."

"Like the sea?" Jack nodded, "How's that?"

A slow smile; more of a leer really, crept onto Jack's face as he leaned over the table so his face was only inches from the other mans. He gazed at Ianto with a strange kind of intensity that Ianto found near impossible to look away from, and whispered, "Hidden depths."

Ianto swallowed and forced his gaze away from the older man's, his eyes instantly darting back and forth to make sure no one had seen the move. Jack sat back in his seat with a satisfied smirk, gesturing the waiter over as they fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Ianto's hands dropped to his lap, fiddling with the material of his suit trousers while the waiter topped up their glasses. Jack watched him, his fingers drumming a quiet rhythm on the table as he considered his next question.

"Question two," Jack began, once he'd dismissed the waiter with a curt nod, "Tell me about your last boyfriend?" Ianto's shoulders immediately tensed up and Jack quickly corrected himself, "Or girlfriend... I wouldn't want to assume."

"I, uh," Ianto stared at him wide eyed, his lips parted as he searched desperately for a way to avoid the question. In the end, he gave in and just came out with the truth, "She's dead, actually."

The silence that fell over them at those words was deafening. Jack opened his mouth to break it, but not a sound came out. Instead he just sat there, jaw hanging open, studiously trying to avoid Ianto's eyes. Ianto couldn't help but take a little pity on him.

"It's okay, Jack," Ianto spoke softly, "you weren't to know."

"I know, but still," he slowly raised his eyes to meet the Welshman's, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really, no harm done," he glanced up to find the waiter returning once more, this time carrying their food over. He sighed in relief, "Food's here."

Jack looked just as relieved as him at the news and the conversation soon took off again. Jack jumped straight into another one of his stories as they ate, for which Ianto was extremely grateful. He'd never been comfortable being the centre of attention, even if just for one person.

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Jack said suddenly half way through the meal, momentarily distracting Ianto from staring at the other man's lips, "what made you want to work at the agency?"

"Oh, um," Ianto blinked, "honestly?"

"Why not?"

"Well, it kind of wasn't my choice," he paused as Jack frowned in confusion, "I mean, it was my choice, obviously, but at the time it was just... desperation. My previous job sucked and I didn't want to go back to it."

Jack smiled, "Well, I for one am glad you didn't, can't remember how I ever got through the day without you."

Ianto snorted, "Yeah, no one for you to harass every five minutes."

"Who can blame me?" Jack waggled his eyebrows before his face turned serious again. "That's not the reason though."

"Isn't it?"

Jack shook his head, smiling warmly, "I guess I just like having you around," he reached across the table with one hand to gently play with the younger man's fingers. Ianto felt his face heat up, it suddenly occurring to him how surreal this all was; being on a date with a man. Sure, he'd messed around a bit in college and been attracted to other men before, but it had never gone any further than that.

He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket with his spare hand, "Do you mind if I pop out for a cigarette quickly?"

Jack sighed quietly and pulled his hand back, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you what a terrible habit that is--"

"But you're going to anyway," Ianto smiled, "don't worry; I'm not sure I'll be needing it for much longer anyway."

Jack raised an eyebrow but Ianto was gone before he could question him. He sat back and watched as the Welshman made his way through the now crowded restaurant, pausing at the door to shoot him a brief smile over his shoulder before he vanished into the night.

*

Ianto shivered as he stepped out the door, mentally kicking himself for not remembering his coat. It was February in Wales after all. He crossed his arms across his chest and moved away from the entrance, swiping a cigarette from the packet with his teeth.

As he lit it up, he noticed a group of about four or five men in large black overcoats huddled outside the pub just across the road from him. At first he didn't pay them any heed, concentrating on keeping warm and finishing his cigarette quickly so he could get back to Jack. But then he noticed two of them saying something to the rest of the group and glancing across at him.

He frowned and tried not to look, taking a few steps back to the restaurant where he felt a bit safer, but then they started to move and he couldn't take his eyes off them. They walked at a steady pace down the street, soon disappearing from view amongst a larger group of students crossing the road. Ianto squinted and tried to make out where they'd gone, moving a little further down the road himself to get a better look, but there was nothing. It was almost like they'd vanished into thin air.

He exhaled a breath and chucked the last of his cigarette on the ground, stamping it out with his foot and turning to head back inside. That was when he felt a large hand curl around his arm, tugging him sharply away from the public eye and into the alley behind the restaurant. He went to speak but was stopped when the same hand was clamped across his mouth, two more coming to hold his arms forcefully behind his back.

"Keep still and shut the fuck up," a familiar but unwelcome voice whispered harshly in his ear, while the hand on his arm twisted his wrist so far around he thought it would break. His cry of pain was muffled by the hand across his mouth and he thrashed wildly against it, kicking his feet out behind him in a blind attempt to hit his target. This only served to anger whoever was there and he soon found himself shoved down onto his knees, a cloth gag stuffed into his mouth. Two hands gripped his shoulders as one of the men knelt down next to him, fisting his hair painfully and pulling his head back with a violent tug. Ianto grunted into the gag and felt tears form in his eyes.

"Now, here's what's going to happen," the man sneered, hand tightening in his hair. "And I know you know who I am, so you can drop the act. I'm going to let you off just this once and you can consider this a warning," he let go of Ianto's hair and moved to grip the back of his neck instead, pushing his head forwards so it was just inches from the ground.

"But if I hear one more word from you, if I even just see you in the street," he paused and Ianto could feel his breath coming out in small puffs against his cheek. The man leaned down further so his mouth was right next to Ianto's ear and growled, "You know what's gonna happen," he let go and Ianto's shoulders sagged in relief, before he was pulled to his feet once again and shoved violently into the wall. His head hit the brickwork hard and he blinked as tiny white dots clouded his vision, vaguely registering his attackers running off down the street.

He sank to the floor and spat the gag out his mouth, feeling the bile rise in his throat. He swallowed against it, one hand coming up to rub his forehead as his vision slowly began to clear. Once it did, all he could think about was what he was going to tell Jack.

He couldn't possible tell Jack what had happened. Jack would ask questions that Ianto would have to answer. He'd want to take Ianto to hospital or tell the police.

No, he couldn't get Jack involved in this. There was only one thing for it.

He stood up, adjusted his suit, and ran home as fast as his legs could carry him.


	7. Chapter 7

Ianto didn't make a sound as he walked slowly towards his apartment. He'd ran the whole way from the restaurant, up until his road when his legs had almost given way beneath him and he'd had to support himself against the neighbours fence. He'd let out a choked sob and collapsed on the pavement, his hands coming up to cover his face as he cried.

He'd stayed that way for at least half an hour, completely oblivious to the world.

Now though, he was silent. His mind running through the nights events over and over until he wasn't even sure what was real and what was his imagination. Everything had become a blur, including his vision.

_The attackers must've been real then_, he concluded as he slowly turned the key in the lock, barely making it through the door before he sank to the floor once again, reaching one arm behind his head to flick the lock shut. Myfanwy came bounding through to meet him but Ianto just gave her a gentle rub behind the ears and sent her back to her bed.

His mind drifted to Jack sat in the restaurant by himself, probably blaming himself or making excuses for Ianto because that was the sort of person he was. Ianto remembered a time when he would've done the same, always putting others first and never thinking of himself, regardless of the consequences.

Now though, he couldn't afford to think of anyone _but _himself.

Ianto growled in frustration and let his head fall back to hit the wall, instantly regretting it when a sharp pain shuddered through him and white spots danced before his eyes again. He swore and blindly reached behind him for the door handle, using it to pull himself up once more. It wouldn't do to mope on the floor all night; he needed to clear his head.

Supporting himself with one hand on the wall, he staggered through to the kitchen to find the painkillers, swallowing two down in one go. He followed that with at least three glasses of water before resigning himself to the sofa, collapsing onto his back in a slightly awkward position as he reached for the remote. Television would help. Television would make him forget, at least for a few minutes.

He settled for some wildlife documentary on BBC two and tried to adjust himself to a comfier position without causing anymore damage. He groaned as he felt his back click painfully and gave up, falling back against the cushions with a heavy sigh. That was when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

He froze. There was only one person that was likely to be.

_Jack. _

He ignored it and reached into his pocket to switch if off, but no sooner had he done so there was a loud knock at the door, startling him enough that he went toppling onto the floor.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, rolling onto his front to push himself into a standing position. His eyes landed on the door and he stared at it like it was a loaded weapon.

He really didn't want to face whoever was on the other side.

Another knock sounded and Ianto took a few steps closer, stopping in the hallway to contemplate the options. He could answer the door, face whoever was there. That was probably the _wisest _option, but Ianto wasn't really in the right state of mind for wisdom. He could barely make out the shape of door or anything surrounding him as it was.

Option two; he could ignore it and go back to the sofa, in the hope that whoever was there would take the hint and leave. That would be the coward's way out, but Ianto had already won the award for biggest coward of the night so it couldn't really get much worse.

Option three; climb out the window and run. Definitely the least realistic, but Ianto had always hoped for his own little James Bond moment, ever since he was a kid. Maybe he could even get a gun...

He grinned dopily as he swayed on his feet, now completely oblivious to the incessant knocking that had become increasingly louder. It was only when a familiar voice called his name through the door that he finally snapped back to the present.

"Ianto! Please just open up; I know you're in there!"

Ianto sighed. He _did_ owe Jack an explanation, of course he did. But he just couldn't face that right now. He needed time to clear his head and clear his thoughts; god knows what would come spewing out his mouth otherwise.

"Ianto!"

Ianto sighed. Jack was showing no signs of leaving anytime soon and Ianto really didn't want him sending the door flying off its hinges. He had enough to worry about as it was.

He took a few small steps closer to the door and called out timidly, "I'm here, Jack."

"Thank Christ for that," he heard Jack mutter. "Are you going to let me in?"

Ianto folded his arms across his chest and tried to appear in control, even though he knew Jack couldn't see him.

"It's not really a good time, Jack," he said, so quietly at first he had to repeat it. He heard a sigh and the sound of Jack slumping against the door.

"So when would be a good time for you?" Jack asked a little bitterly, "I guess I just thought now might be convenient, since we're supposed to be on a date and all that. Or had you forgotten?"

Ianto cursed himself as he felt another pang of guilt in his chest at Jack's words. _I really do make some shit decisions sometimes..._

"No, I'm sorry, Jack. I just...look, I'm gonna open the door," he exhaled a breath as he heard Jack utter something like 'thank you', before quickly fumbling with the lock. It took an embarrassingly long time to unlock, due to the trembling that spread through his entire body as he did so, but he eventually succeeded and flung the door open before his mind could protest again.

Jack gasped when he took in the sight of him, "What the hell happened to you?!"

Ianto frowned and looked down at himself. Apart from a bit of grime on his shirt and a wonky tie, he didn't think he looked that worse for wear.

Apparently Jack thought otherwise.

"You look awful, Ianto. What's going on?" He placed one hand on each of Ianto's shoulders and pushed him gently back into the apartment, pushing the door shut behind them with a click.

"I, I...I don't want to talk about this Jack, just," he swallowed and let his gaze fall to the floor. "Please don't make me."

Jack scoffed and dropped his hands to his side. "Oh, well that's fine then. You ditch me at the restaurant just like that, without even a phone call or a text to tell me where you are or that you're not coming back, and you expect me to just ignore that and move on? And now, I make the effort to come to your apartment, you're looking like," he gestured angrily to Ianto's ruined suit, "that! And you think I'm just gonna let it go without an explanation?"

Ianto attempted a shrug as his head began to spin again, unsure if it was really a good idea for him to answer in his condition. Jack didn't seem to notice and carried on his rant regardless.

"And to think it took me so long to actually get to this point with you, did none of this actually mean anything to you? Was it all just a game, Ianto? Because if it was, it's really not one I want to be a part of anymore," he placed his hands either side of Ianto's head and tilted it up to meet blue eyes. Jack's features softened almost immediately.

"Please just tell me, Ianto," he went on, unaware he was caressing Ianto's jaw with his thumbs or of the effect it was having on the younger man. "I need to know if this is real or not."

"I, I'm sorry, Jack," Ianto whispered, his own hands coming up to wrap loosely around the older man's waist, "I just want..." he stopped talking and swayed forward, seeking out the older man's lips in a haze of lust. Jack blinked and quickly moved back, placing one hand firmly on Ianto's chest to press him back against the wall.

That certainly hadn't been the reaction he was expecting.

Ianto was undeterred by Jack's rejection and curled a hand around his neck instead, trying once again to tug Jack's lips towards his own.

"Ianto, stop," Jack mumbled, even as he found his head moving forward of its own accord and warm lips ghosting over his own. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, keeping his hand between them to hide his own traitorous body's reaction. This really wasn't the time for this...

If Ianto noticed Jack's reluctance, he chose to ignore it and let one hand drift downwards to gently squeeze his hip, smiling as the action elicited a soft moan from the other man. Jack responded by using one large hand to grip Ianto's thigh, lifting his leg off the ground to tangle with his own and pressing his entire body hard against Ianto's.

"Yesss," Ianto gasped out, slurring a little over the S's as his hands gripped Jack's hips, nails marking the skin even through the layers of clothing. Jack grinned and leaned forward to press wet, open mouthed kisses across Ianto's jaw, leading up to his ear. All his common sense had been replaced by lust, but that didn't matter because Ianto was moaning loudly enough to wake the whole street and his hands were slipping beneath Jack's shirt and this was everything Jack had dreamt of ever since he'd met the man.

The hand on Ianto's thigh moved to his arse, pulling the other man's body flush against his own as he finally sought out his lips. Ianto wrapped both arms around Jack's neck as their tongues danced messily, his fingers tangling in the thick strands of Jack's hair.

"Ianto," Jack whispered breathlessly between kisses, "wanted this...so long," that hot mouth moved to Ianto's throat and bit down hard on the pulse point, drawing an almost animalistic growl from the Welshman who rapidly flipped their positions. He crushed their lips together before Jack could protest, sucking Jack's lower lip into his mouth as he ground against him.

Jack groaned and gave himself up to it, all his earlier worries forgotten until he felt Ianto's hands tugging at his belt.

"Ianto, wait," Jack flipped them once again and held Ianto firmly against the wall with one arm, the other he used to rub his eyes as he tried to clear his head. "You're not thinking straight and neither am I."

Ianto frowned, "You don't want me?"

"Of course I want you!" Jack reassured him, stroking his thumb over Ianto's knuckles, "I want you in every way you'll allow me to have you, if that makes...any sense," he paused and let go of Ianto's hands, suddenly remembering the suit Jacket he'd dropped on his way in. He leaned down to pick it up, "Look, I came around to give you this and because I was concerned for you. Seems I had good reason to be too," he brushed his fingers across a small graze on Ianto's cheek. "I don't expect you to share all your deep dark secrets with me, Ianto, but if this is going to work I need you to let me in. What happened with you tonight?"

Ianto stared at him, still trying to catch up with the sudden change in Jack's tone. He sighed and took the jacket from Jack, moving into the lounge to hang it over the sofa. Jack followed him, taking in his every move.

"Listen, Jack," Ianto began, his hands clenched in his pockets, "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression or lead you to believe this was more than it is. I took a chance with the date because...I don't know, I guess I thought it couldn't hurt to try," he took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact he was lying through his teeth. "But I've realised now that this isn't what I want, I'm better off on my own and I always have been. This," he gestured between them and tried to ignore the look of hurt on Jack's face, "I mean, us. I don't think it's meant to be."

The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound Ianto could hear was his heart pounding in his ears and Myfanwy snuffling from her bed. Eventually it became too much and he moved a little closer to Jack.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Jack swallowed, his jaw clenched as he nodded, "I'll let myself out, shall I?"

"I'm sorry, Jack," Ianto repeated himself in the hope it would at least take the edge off the guilt he was feeling at that moment, but Jack was barely listening anymore and turned his back on him as he headed for the door. Ianto considered following him, taking everything back and telling Jack the truth, but it would only serve to make things worse in the long term.

Instead he stood helplessly in the hallway, watching Jack close the door quietly behind him and listening to his footsteps fading down the street.

He lost track of time as he stood there, telling himself over and over that this was the right thing to do, until eventually it became too much and he wandered silently through to the bedroom, not bothering to undress as he clambered into bed.

After about two hours of tossing and turning, he drifted off into a light sleep and dreams of men in dark suits.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Kay, I'm cheating a bit and posting this here before it's beta'd, just because I'm so very impatient and late as it is . The beta'd version will be on LJ soon if you _really _can't handle any bad grammar or spelling mistakes ;) (or if you don't read here)**

**Enjoy! **

Ianto woke with what he swore was the worst hangover of his life.

For a moment he kept his eyes shut, taking a moment to let the previous days events come flooding back. He could barely remember the morning, hell he could barely remember his date with Jack. Everything before the attack was a blur, everything after it was now becoming crystal clear.

He groaned and rolled over, nudging Myfanwy firmly in the side to push her off the bed. She whimpered quietly but did as she was told, heading over to wait by the door as per usual. Ianto smiled a little, though it was soon replaced by a frown as he sat up and found himself in the same clothes as the night before, evidence of the attack still covering his shirt. He thought back to the awful things he'd said to Jack last night, the look on the older man's face as he'd left, the guilt and the regret that had woken Ianto up several times throughout the night and was now still eating away at him.

Ianto swallowed and shook his head, standing up to pad across to the wardrobe. He needed to get to work on time, and that was never going to happen if he kept dwelling on the past. He began to peel away the previous night's suit, rolling the shirt up into a ball and chucking it into the far corner of the room. He kicked the trousers off and under the bed before heading into the bathroom for a shower.

It was a relief to finally step under the hot jet of water, washing away the invisible marks left by Jack and the men. Ianto scrubbed desperately at every part of his body he could reach, so much so that when he got out the shower half an hour later, his chest was practically glowing red. He ignored it and wrapped a towel around his waist, moving across to the mirror to shave.

He wiped the mirror clean with one hand and gasped as he saw the graze still prominent on his left cheek, remembering the way Jack's fingers had felt brushing over it. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath, raising his own hand to touch the mark himself. He could almost take himself back, pretend it was Jack's hands on him, marking him, claiming him...

At least, it could've been, had Ianto not completely _fucked _everything up.

He let out a frustrated growl and wiped the shaving cream from his chin, chucking the razor into the bin below the sink. Myfanwy came trotting through at the noise, coming to plonk herself at Ianto's feet. Ianto sighed and kneeled down to press a kiss to her head, his hands coming up to scratch behind her ears as he whispered, "What have I done, Myfanwy?"

*

Ianto arrived late at work once again, to the sound of men shouting and a woman clearly trying to keep the peace. The lift doors opened with a ping and half the office instantly turned at the noise, their eyes coming to fix on Ianto. Owen was engaged in a heated argument with one of the younger men on the team, but within seconds had turned on Ianto.

"Oh and it's about fucking time too, is it really too much to ask for the bloody coffee boy to arrive on time in the morning? Don't worry about the rest of us who have been here since six fucking thirty in the morning and are having to spend time making our own goddamn coffee because—"

"Owen!" Jack's voice bellowed across the office. Ianto's breath caught in his throat and he quickly averted his eyes, but Jack wasn't looking at him anyway. "If there's a problem you can come to me with it, it's not your job to discipline the staff and it's certainly—"

"Oh I see!" Owen cut in as Ianto's face turned a powerful shade of crimson. "Your bloody boyfriend here can turn up to work whenever he likes and you don't even bat an eyelid, but when the rest of us want to..." He trailed off as Jack slammed a hand down on the desk and the entire office fell into silence. Ianto bit his lip so hard he tasted copper.

"I don't want to hear another word about it," Jack told him firmly, holding Owen's gaze for a moment before dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand. "Now get back to work, all of you," he spared a quick glance at Ianto as everyone quickly engrossed themselves in their work, but the younger man ignored him and scurried off to the kitchenette.

Ianto spent longer than usual making the coffees, delaying time before he'd have to face Jack alone. He could probably just get Gwen to deliver it for him; she'd always had a bit of a thing for the boss, despite being married herself, but it wouldn't do any good in the long term. He knew he had to face Jack eventually.

His hands shook as he carried the tray to Jack's office, expecting to find the older man sat behind his chair waiting for him as he did every morning. He was therefore surprised when he spotted Jack stood over by the A3 printer, chatting to a young brunette from Design. Alison, her name was. Ianto had seen her a couple times when visiting Tosh, he'd remembered commenting on how pretty she was and being teased about it at the pub after work.

Well, he certainly didn't think so now. Not when she was stood in his boss' personal space, her hand placed affectionately on his arm while she giggled at some wild gestures he was making with his hands. His own arm was placed on the printer one side of her, supporting his body against it and trapping her in slightly. Not that she seemed to care.

Ianto quickly hurried into Jack's office to avoid getting caught staring, catching a brief glimpse of Jack's face as he did.

The man was laughing.

Ianto huffed and felt a sharp twinge of something resembling jealousy in his chest. Him and Jack had only ended their... thing the night before and already Jack had moved on to a new victim. Maybe Owen really had been right; Jack did just want him for sex, and now that he'd realised Ianto wasn't going to give it to him, he'd found someone else.

Ianto banged the mug down on Jack's desk, grimacing slightly as the hot liquid sloshed over the sides onto his hands and the wood. He very almost reached for his handkerchief to clean it up, but stopped himself midway; Jack could deal with the mess himself. Would serve him right if he emptied the whole mug out onto the desk, maybe even a little on Jack's paperwork...

"Aren't you going to clean that up?"

Ianto jumped and spun around, his hands rapidly pulling the handkerchief from his pocket while Jack watched with a raised eyebrow from the doorway.

"Was just about to, sir," Ianto mumbled, his face burning as he hurriedly wiped the coffee from the desk and stuffed the cloth back into his pocket. Jack seemed somewhat amused by this reaction.

"Ianto, relax," he moved further into the room to squeeze Ianto's shoulder, "I'm not mad at you. A little disappointed I have to say, but not mad," he released Ianto's shoulder and plonked himself down in his chair. "I only want my employees to be happy, if I can't be the one to make you happy then we should just put last night behind us and move on."

"But Jack—"

"Shh Ianto, its okay," Jack put a hand up to silence him and smiled. "We're still friends right?"

Ianto blinked. This wasn't exactly the reaction he'd been expecting. He'd imagined Jack would act cold and professional with him, only talking when he needed to and ignoring him the rest of the day. That would've been bad, but this...this was even worse. Jack was smiling, like he was unaffected by Ianto's rejection the previous night.

Then he realised that Jack was probably only saying this so he could go out with Alison and all his anger at the man came rushing back.

"Oh, um," he shrugged casually, "I think we should just see how things go."

Jack nodded, seemingly unhurt by Ianto's answer. "If you say so," he smiled once more before pulling a pile of forms from his desk and waving a hand to indicate the conversation was over. Just like that. Like Ianto was Owen or just another member of staff, which he supposed he probably was now.

A sudden burst of frustration welled inside him at the thought and he couldn't stop the next words spilling from his mouth. "Would you care if we weren't?"

Jack lifted his head from his paperwork and frowned, "You call the shots, Ianto," he unexpectedly stood up and moved over to the door, holding it open as he leant against the frame. "Like I said, whatever makes you happy."

Ianto eyed him suspiciously. There was something... fake in the way Jack spoke, and in the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. In fact, now that Ianto had a chance to look closely at the other man's bloodshot eyes and the dark circles that hung beneath them, it almost looked as if Jack had been crying. 

That couldn't be right.

"Ianto?" Ianto's head snapped up at the sound of Jack's voice as the other man gestured towards the lift with his head. "Won't Tosh be awaiting her coffee?"

Ianto nodded once, plastering on a fake smile of his own as he went to squeeze past Jack. Jack didn't even step back to let him through and Ianto had to swallow a moan as Jack's hand brushed not-so-accidently against his thigh. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and strode towards the lift without another word.

He did owe Tosh a coffee, and he had a feeling she wasn't going to be best pleased with him.

*

"You did what?!"

Ianto sighed, "It seemed the best option at the time, and I didn't want to give Jack the wrong impression or— Ow!" Ianto groaned and rubbed his arm where Tosh had smacked him. "Why do you always have to resort to violence?"

"I'll stop resorting to violence when you stop behaving like an absolute... man!" Tosh told him harshly, placing her palm across his mouth when he went to protest. "Now, start again, the truth this time."

"I am telling you the truth! Look, I got there and I guess I realised I wasn't ready for another relationship, especially not with Jack. It was better he found out sooner rather than later, so I—"

"Did the adult thing and ran away, left him all by himself at the restaurant!"

"It was for the best!"

Tosh shook her head and turned away, gazing off out the window. "It all makes so much sense now," she said so quietly under her breath Ianto only just managed to catch it.

"What makes sense?"

Tosh inhaled a long breath, her fingers tapping nervously against the table. "I know why you left him, Ianto. Well, maybe I don't know the exact details, but I have an idea."

Ianto's heart dropped. Tosh knew? "How?"

"I...I saw someone yesterday, walking down the high street. I wasn't entirely sure I'd seen him right, so I followed him for a while to try and catch another glimpse of his face," she paused and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, a telltale sign she was anxious of Ianto's reaction. "He stopped for a cigarette and that's when I saw his face more clearly."

Ianto clenched his hands under the desk. He didn't want to hear this. If she said the words then that would make them true. "Who was it?" He eventually asked cautiously.

Tosh bit her lip and spun back around to face him, "It was Lisa's drug dealer."


	9. Chapter 9

Ianto had arranged to meet Tosh at the pub after work to talk things over, namely her confession that morning and Ianto's run in with the men the night before. Ianto didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to just run home, curl up in bed with Myfanwy and pretend none of this was happening. It didn't help that the afternoon was dragging on forever and he'd ran into Jack at least three times already, the most recent and most awkward being in the stationary cupboard when he'd gone to find a stapler. Jack had hovered in the doorway with his arms crossed, a similar pose to the one he'd struck in his office earlier that day, and waited for Ianto to pass.

"_Sir," Ianto greeted him with a nod, "Could I...?" He coughed awkwardly and gestured for Jack to move, frowning as a slow smile spread across the other man's face. _

"_Sorry, Ianto," he dropped his arms to his side and flattened himself against the door frame, giving Ianto only inches more space to move past. Ianto didn't bother protesting; it was a useless cause when it came to Jack. _

"_Thanks," Ianto mumbled, before carefully squeezing past into the cupboard, staying as close to the opposite wall as possible to avoid any part of his body coming into contact with Jack's. His boss certainly wasn't making it easy for him. _

_He could feel Jack's eyes on his every move, and he suddenly felt a compelling urge to turn around and scream at him, ask what in the hell it was Jack wanted from him. When he finally did find the stapler and turned around to find Jack still hovering in the doorway, he almost did just that. _

"_Do you want something, Jack?"_

_Jack jumped a little, as if surprised by the younger man's presence, and quickly fixed his infamous Harkness grin back in place. "Nope, sorry, I was just thinking."_

"_Anything you wish to share?"_

_Jack let out a breath, "Nothing I could."_

_Ianto sighed and squeezed the stapler in his hand, mulling a response over in his head. "Jack, listen--"_

"_Jack," another voice sounded, a female voice, "can you come and look at this?" Gwen appeared in the doorway at his side, clutching a large stack of papers in her hands. She glanced at Ianto then back to Jack, her eyes widening slightly. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"_

"_Not at all," Jack assured her, offering Ianto a quick apologetic smile before following Gwen back to her desk. Ianto waited for them to disappear, before slipping out and hurrying back to his own station. _

Ianto sighed heavily as his eyes skimmed over the same sentence he'd been reading for the past twenty minutes, still not really taking in the words. His mind was on other things, mostly Jack and all the things he wanted to say to him. Really, Jack shouldn't exactly be top of his priority list, considering the situation he'd gotten himself into with the men from last night. In fact, it probably _was_ for the best that he kept Jack at arm's length. It wouldn't be fair to get Jack caught up in his past, and god knows what Jack would think of _Ianto _if he found out the truth.

No, he was doing the right thing. He'd somehow explain that to Tosh after work and they'd deal with it together.

He just had to get through the rest of the day.

*

Five o'clock rolled on by and Ianto couldn't get out of the office fast enough. He wrapped his coat tight around him and kept his head down as he hurried down the street towards the pub. He had no idea where or when his attackers would pop up again but he didn't want to hang around to find out.

Tosh was already waiting for him inside when he arrived and he didn't even stop for a cigarette before going in. Tosh waved him over to their usual seat in the corner and wasted no time delving back into their earlier conversation.

"You didn't run into them on the way, did you?" She asked him, reaching up to rub her thumb over the mark on his cheek. Ianto shook her off with a glare.

"Lower your voice, Tosh!"

"Sorry! Sorry, it's just... I'm concerned about you. These guys could be really dangerous, Ianto," She reached across the table to cover his hand with her own, "Maybe you should talk to—"

"No!" Ianto snapped, "I'm not getting the police involved. It's too soon."

Tosh raised an eyebrow, "Well, I was going to say Jack, but that will do." Ianto carried on shaking his head, pulling his hand back from Tosh's to run through his hair.

"No. No police, no Jack. This is something I need to deal with alone."

Tosh sighed, defeated. She didn't want to pressure Ianto into giving her answers; that only ever served to push him further away, but there was one question she was dying to ask.

"Ianto, you can tell me if I'm out of line here, but there's something I've wanted to ask you for a while now, and maybe now is the right time," she glanced at him for permission to continue, but he was ignoring her and gazing off out the window. "Ianto?"

"Go ahead," he responded, his eyes never leaving the window. Tosh took a large sip of her wine to brace herself for Ianto's reaction.

"Did you ever...I mean," she took a deep breath and started again. "When Lisa was in that... stage, did you ever try it?"

Ianto flinched and Tosh could tell that it hadn't exactly been the question he'd expected. He wet his lips nervously, still looking away as he answered, "Just once. I haven't touched any of that stuff since, not after..." He trailed off leaving the sentence open. Tosh didn't push him; she didn't need to hear the rest and she certainly wasn't going to make him say it.

"I'm assuming that isn't what you've been hiding from me all these years though, is it? And no, I'm not asking you to tell me, I just want you to know that I'm here to listen and not judge."

Ianto nodded, "I know, Tosh, I really do. There are just some things I'm not comfortable sharing." He turned his head away from the window to meet her eyes, "I'm not sure you'd want to know the half of them anyway."

Tosh smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. She hated to admit it, but Ianto was probably right. Her friend had always had a bit of a dark side, and it was a part of him she was happy not knowing.

"So what are you going to do?"

Ianto shrugged, "First, I'm going to have a beer, and after that I'll take it one day at a time. Who's to say I'll run into them again anyway?"

"Well who's to say you won't?"

"I'll take my chances." He grabbed her glass of wine and knocked back the rest, inclining his head towards the bar once he'd swallowed it down. "You want another?"

"I'm assuming you're going to buy me one anyway to avoid this conversation."

Ianto winked, "You know me too well, Toshiko." He got up to leave but was stopped by Tosh grabbing his wrist and tugging him back to the table.

"Ianto," Tosh spoke warningly, "this isn't going to go away just because you ignore it. I want you to be safe—"

"Tosh," Ianto cut her off, placing his hand over hers on his wrist, "I promise you, if anything happens or it goes too far, I'll call the police. But for now will you just let me deal with this my own way?"

Tosh huffed but nodded her head in agreement all the same, "You're lucky I love you."

Ianto smiled softly and pressed a kiss to her hair, "Believe me, I know." He pulled away, squeezed her shoulder once and moved off to the bar.

*

Ianto tipped his head up to the sky as they left the pub half an hour later, feeling the first drops of rain trickle down his cheeks. He groaned and warmed his hands in his coat pockets.

"Sometimes, I bloody hate Wales."

Tosh giggled and popped open her umbrella, moving to link her arm through Ianto's as they slowly began the walk to her car. Ianto remained silent throughout the journey, seemingly oblivious to the concerned glances Tosh kept shooting his way until they reached the car.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?!"

"Like what?" Tosh feigned innocence.

"Like I'm about to drop dead at any moment! This is nothing for you to worry about, okay? I'm going to walk home now and I'm going to be fine."

Tosh frowned, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, "I could give you a lift..."

Ianto smiled, shaking his head, "You're going in the opposite direction, there's really no need."

"Well if you're—"

"I'm sure," Ianto finished for her, "now go home and relax."

Tosh nodded but crushed him in a hug all the same, "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will," he held open the door for her as she climbed in and shut it gently behind her with a click. "Drive safe."

She shot him one last smile before reversing out onto the road and driving into the distance. Ianto waited until her car had completely disappeared from view before beginning the journey home.

The rain was heavier now and Ianto began to regret not accepting that lift from Tosh or bringing his own car to the pub. Instead he stuck to the shelter of the alleyways and pulled the collar of his coat up to cover his face. His once neat and styled hair was now flattened against his forehead, small droplets of rain dripping down the slope of his nose. He blinked once to clear the water from his eyes and thought he caught a quick glimpse of a shadow to the left of him.

He turned and squinted. He couldn't see much in the darkness, could barely make out the road from where he was, but he was sure he could feel another presence nearby.

Dismissing it as a cat or another animal, he continued on, his pace a little quicker as he looked for a spot to move back onto the street. Just as he found one, he heard footsteps coming up right behind him and more than one voice mumbling something incoherent. His heart pounded that little bit harder in his chest as he sped up his movements, the walk turning into a jog as the footsteps behind him sounded even closer.

Ianto swallowed against his dry throat and risked a quick glance over his shoulder. There were definitely shapes moving behind him in the alley, even faster now and Ianto stopped trying to pretend he wasn't being followed and started running.

"Oi!" An all too familiar voice shouted after him as he finally came out onto the road. He swore under his breath and kept running, unsure if it was even the right direction but too scared to stop and think about it. His legs began to feel the strain of the night before and the rain had seeped right through to his skin, but Ianto kept moving, forcing himself on.

He reached the end of street and turned to his left, returning to a jog as the voices began to fade. The ache from his legs was rapidly spreading and it soon hurt to even breathe. By the time he reached the end of the block his legs were threatening to give way beneath him and he had to stop. Supporting himself against a lamp post, his breath coming in gasps, he turned to survey the surroundings.

The men had vanished, but he was still nowhere near his house and they could appear again at any moment. He thought about calling Tosh, but then he'd have to come up with a cover story that she'd never buy and she'd probably make him call the police or something equally ridiculous.

If he could find the name of the road he was on he could call a taxi. Might look a little odd since he was drenched through, wearing a shoddy suit with a huge bruise forming on his cheek.

Still, better than walking.

He walked slowly to the end of the road, practically dragging one leg behind him with his left arm held protectively across his chest, and read the sign.

_Fairwater Road... _now why did that sound so familiar?

He walked back down a little way, trying to remember who it was he knew that lived in the area. It certainly wasn't the cheapest part of the city; you'd have to have a pretty high salary or at least be very high up in the ranks to... _Ah. _

Now he remembered.

_Jack. _

Well, there was no way he could just go barging in on his boss, was there? He was probably still at the office anyway, and even if he wasn't, there was no way Ianto was going to do it. No way.

And yet somehow he found his traitorous legs walking back down the street to try and spot Jack's car. It didn't take long, since the huge SUV Jack turned up at work in every day was parked right on the roadside. Ianto had no idea why Jack needed a vehicle that big for one person, but then that was just Jack. Man of mysteries.

Much like himself, really.

Jack's house looked huge from the outside and Ianto found himself actually trembling as he reached the front door, adjusting his suit to at least make himself look the tiniest bit presentable. Jack was still his boss after all, even though he rarely acted like one.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and rang the bell.

The door opened on the second ring.


	10. Chapter 10

"Ianto?"

"Jack."

Jack stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him, his eyebrows practically raised to his hairline. "You're on my doorstep."

Ianto blinked, mouth forming a tiny 'O' shape as his brain finally caught up with the fact he had absolutely no explanation as to why he was there. Well, other than having just been chased by his dead girlfriends drug dealer, but there was no way he was telling Jack that.

"Yeah, I am," he stuttered out eventually, hand coming up to push his dripping wet hair from his eyes. A hint of a smile played on Jack's lips as he took in the other man's appearance.

"Not that I mind, but can I ask what you're doing here?"

Ianto blinked again. _What the fuck am I doing here? _"Uh... to be honest, I don't rightly know."

Jack couldn't help himself, he _laughed. _"Right. Wet out there, huh?"

Ianto glared but was too cold to come up with some sharp retort. The warmth radiating from Jack's house was so inviting, he was finding it hard to care about giving the man a plausible explanation. He'd cross that bridge if and when he came to it. "Do you want me to go?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jack swung the door the rest of the way open and gestured Ianto inside, "You'd get pneumonia walking home like that."

Ianto smiled gratefully and stepped inside, sighing contentedly as the heat from the hallway engulfed him. Jack kicked the door shut behind them and moved to take Ianto's coat from his shoulders, his fingers lingering over the back of Ianto's neck for a few short moments. The Welshman didn't seem to notice and allowed Jack to remove his suit jacket without objection.

"I can hang these by the radiator," said Jack, ignoring the trail of water he was leaving in the hallway as he carried the items through to the living room, "but I don't know what you want to do about the rest of your clothes."

Ianto nodded absentmindedly and followed at a distance, letting his eyes wander around the house. It wasn't at all like he'd imagined. He'd pictured Jack living somewhere a bit more modern; designer kitchen, leather sofas, a fifty inch plasma screen. But Jack didn't even _have_ a television in the living room.

Instead, a large antique grandfather clock stood proudly in the corner, right next to an old record player, which Ianto remembered the older man saying had belonged to his father. A small open fire lay beneath the mantel piece, which was actually quite bare save for a couple old black and white photographs, one in the middle of a man who looked remarkably like Jack wearing an RAF uniform.

In all honesty, it was nothing like the Jack he knew. But then maybe he didn't know Jack at all.

"Ianto?"

Ianto's head snapped around to face Jack, "Sorry, what?"

"I said what are you going to do about the rest of your clothes?"

"Oh," Ianto frowned and looked down at himself. His shirt clung to his chest from the rainwater, his tie hung loosely at an angle around his neck and the less said about his lower half the better. "I'm not sure."

Jack smiled, "Well you're welcome to borrow some clothes?"

"You...what?" Ianto's heart sped up at the thought of borrowing clothes from Jack. That was the kind of thing couples did, not boss and employee. "I couldn't—"

"Nonsense," Jack cut him off, "I can't have you freezing to death, the team needs their coffee in the morning. Come on, get the shirt off and I'll find you something to wear." He grinned and jogged off down the hallway before Ianto could protest.

Ianto sighed. How in the hell was he going to explain this? Showing up unannounced at the house of the person he was supposed to be avoiding wasn't exactly the best strategy. Jack was going to ask questions and Ianto was in no mood to answer them.

"Okay, these should fit you," he heard Jack's voice from the hallway moments later before the man himself appeared around the door. Jack smirked when he noticed Ianto hadn't even removed his shirt. "Are you planning to put these on over the top?"

Ianto bit his lip, "Could I not get changed... elsewhere?"

Jack shrugged, "I guess you could do, but that might give me the wrong impression about your feelings towards me."

Ianto eyed him curiously. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of where this was going. "And why's that?"

"Well, since we're supposed to be _just_ boss and employee, I see no reason why you should feel awkward around me in a situation like this," Jack's tone was serious, but he could barely contain a smug grin from spreading across his face at Ianto's dumbfound expression, "I mean, we _are _just boss and employee, right?"

Ianto inhaled a breath and let it out slowly, "Right, well I'll just--"

"Why did you come here tonight?" Jack demanded suddenly, tone switching from amused to annoyed in the blink of an eye. He seemed to be doing a lot of that recently, and it was making Ianto incredibly nervous.

"Listen, Jack, I—"

"Don't finish that sentence if you're going to lie, Ianto."

Ianto snorted, "Well it's not like you're giving me a chance to anyway."

"Ianto," Jack came forward suddenly, grabbing both of Ianto's hands in his and sitting him down on the edge of the sofa. "I said last night that I don't expect you to tell me all your secrets and I'm not asking you to now. All I'm asking is for you to answer me this one question honestly," he paused to give the other man a chance to speak, but Ianto kept his mouth shut and his eyes lowered. "Just tell me why you came here tonight."

Ianto stared at him and felt all his resolve melting away. Just like that. He'd always known that the day would come when Jack would finally break him; he just hadn't expected it to come so soon or so easily.

"I came here because," he stopped and attempted to move or look away, but Jack held his hands in a firm grip, nodding encouragingly. There was no turning back now. "I came here because I ran into some people on my way home tonight, some people I used to know. They, I mean we have... unfinished business, to put it one way."

"Business?" Ianto nodded while Jack's hands squeezed his a little tighter.

"I don't... I mean I _can't _go into details, Jack. But these guys are going to cause me trouble that I don't need and when they followed me home I—"

"They followed you home?!"

"Yeah... well they tried to. I managed to get away, but then I realised I was on your street and I couldn't go back so I thought maybe it would be okay if I--" Jack cut off his babbling by placing a finger over his lips.

"Believe me, Ianto, it's not your being here that worries me," he let go of Ianto's hands and moved to sit next to him, "it's how you got here. I mean, have these guys been threatening you? What do they want?"

"Jack, I really can't—"

"Tell me. I know. It's just not very much to go on, Ianto," Jack sighed and let his head fall back to stare at the ceiling. Ianto didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent and glanced nervously across at the other man. A few long moments passed before Jack finally said, "Can you at least tell me who these guys are?"

Ianto shook his head, "Not yet, Jack. I'm sorry."

"You seem to be saying that a lot recently."

"It's true," Ianto insisted, "I didn't want to get you involved in this."

Jack frowned as a thought hit him, "So... all that stuff you said last night about us. Was that true? Or was that just a cover up for one of the many things you can't tell me?"

"That was..." Ianto shifted uncomfortably, unable to look Jack in the eye, "that was a cover up."

Jack tilted his head to the side to look at him, "Figures. Like I said, you're a terrible liar."

Ianto scoffed, "Coming from you after the way you were behaving today. What got into you?"

Jack grinned and edged a little closer, "Which incident are you referring to? The one in the stationary cupboard or the one where you got all green-eyed over Alison?"

"I was actually referring to this morning when you came out with all that friendship bullshit, but now that we're on the subject, what exactly _is _going on with you and this Alison?"

Jack smirked and flung one arm out to rest on the sofa behind Ianto, "I knew it. You're jealous."

"And you're full of it," Ianto retorted, hiding a smile as Jack shifted even closer.

"And _you're _dripping water all over my sofa," Jack leered at him, turning his body towards Ianto's and letting one hand come to rest on his thigh. Ianto didn't even hesitate before covering it with his own.

"You're right. I should probably do something about that," he said suggestively, spare hand already reaching up to pull the tie from his collar. Jack watched mesmerized as Ianto's long fingers worked the knot apart and dropped the silk garment to the floor. "Is there anywhere I can go to get dry?"

Jack's hand moved even further up the other mans thigh as he answered, "How about my bedroom?"

Ianto smirked and rolled his eyes, "For all your talk, Harkness, your seduction technique really needs some work."

"You think?"

"Afraid so."

Jack pouted, "So is that to say you won't be coming to the bedroom then?"

"I..." Ianto paused. Was he really going to do this? There were still so many questions which Ianto was sure Jack would demand the answers to soon enough, but at least this would serve as a distraction until Ianto could get his head together.

That, and he was so hard he could barely stand up.

"Fine. Let's go to the—mmpf!" He was cut off suddenly by Jack's tongue in his mouth and warm, insistent hands working their way under his shirt. Ianto moaned softly and wrapped his legs tightly around Jack's hips, using them to pull the other mans body down on top of him. Jack obliged happily and kissed his way up Ianto's jaw line to tongue his ear, using his teeth to suck firmly on the lobe while Ianto writhed beneath him. "Fuck," Ianto breathed, grabbing a fistful of Jack's hair and tugging his head back towards his lips.

Jack, however, had other ideas.

Planting one hand firmly on Ianto's chest, he used the other to push himself back onto his heels and up off the sofa, pausing a minute to take in the sight of a dishevelled Ianto; lips swollen, hair sticking up at all angles, shirt bunched up around his chest.

Jack swallowed. He supposed they could always finish their chat in the morning...

Before he could change his mind, he grabbed Ianto (who was still trying to compose himself) by the hand and dragged him off down the hallway.


	11. Chapter 11

**Woah, sorry this is so late. Big writers block with this chapter, so I hope you guys like it :)**

**WARNING: Smutty smut ahead. If you don't like smut, don't read. **

Jack clung to Ianto's hand all the way up the stairs and across the landing, afraid Ianto would run for it as soon as they reached the bedroom. Ianto though, was surprisingly calm and found the only emotion he felt as they reached Jack's room was an overwhelming sense of loneliness at the lack of anything resembling the man. Jack seemed to sense his reaction and turned to him with a weak smile, "Sorry it's not much."

Ianto shook his head, "It's all we need," he said, unsure who he was really trying to convince. Jack seemed to buy it and shuffled closer, one hand coming up to brush the back of Ianto's wrist.

"So..." he began, giving Ianto's arm a quick tug to turn him around. "Here we are."

Ianto smiled in trepidation, glancing back and forth between Jack and the bed while Jack gently toyed with his fingers.

He was suddenly feeling a little out his depth.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"Jack asked one last time, though they both knew full well there was no going back now. Ianto let out a shaky breath and turned in Jack's hold.

"No," Ianto smiled and moved so he was toe to toe with the older man. "In fact, I've never been less sure about anything in my entire life."

Jack frowned, "You make that sound like a good thing."

Ianto laughed and placed one palm flat against Jack's chest, thumb slipping beneath the buttons of his shirt to skilfully pop it open. "It is a good thing. I've never done anything without being one hundred percent sure about it."

Jack opened his mouth, intending to reply but soon deciding conversation was overrated when Ianto crushed their lips together. Jack returned the kiss eagerly, his hands finding their way into Ianto's hair to tangle in those dark locks. While most of the men Jack had kissed were possessive and demanding, Ianto was soft and explorative; silently making his claim. He ran his hands up under Ianto's shirt, fingers catching at sensitised nipples and making Ianto gasp into his mouth.

"Jack," Ianto broke the kiss reluctantly, gripping Jack's hips to hold him back, "I've never... I mean--" He looked between Jack and the bed and chewed anxiously on his lip. Jack smiled warmly and nodded.

"I know," he said, dipping his head slightly to kiss Ianto on the nose. Ianto smiled back and rested their foreheads together as Jack said, "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"And vice-versa," Ianto teased, trailing a hand down Jack's chest towards his belt. Jack watched him, eyes darkening as Ianto opened his belt with the flick of a wrist and swiped it through the loops. It fell to the floor with a _clink _and Ianto wasted no time sliding his hand past the waistband of Jack's trousers.

"Fuck," Jack moaned breathlessly from the sudden heat against his cock, clinging on to Ianto's shoulders while Ianto rubbed him through his briefs. Jack leaned in for another kiss, but Ianto had other ideas and ducked his head to suck on Jack's neck, leaving his mark for the world to see. His hand squeezed Jack's cock a little harder and Jack's eyes fluttered closed, his knees weakening beneath him.

"Ian...to," Jack mumbled, wrapping his arms tight around Ianto's shoulders to support himself. Ianto smiled, satisfied, and removed his hand to yank Jack's trousers down the rest of the way, ignoring his groan of protest.

"Sssh," Ianto hushed him, waiting for Jack to kick his trousers off before pulling him closer by the hand. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Is that a promise?" Jack asked hopefully, already tugging his own shirt off and tossing it over his shoulder. Ianto's eyes glazed over at the sight of a bare chested Jack, fingers and tongue itching to map out every inch. As if reading his mind, Jack grinned and said, "Like what you see, huh?"

Ianto mentally shook himself and glared, "How about you shut the hell up and I can show you how much I appreciate it," he told him, raising a daring eyebrow as he shrugged his shirt off onto the floor.

Jack growled and without warning, grabbed Ianto by the hips and lifted him clean off the ground. Ianto grinned delightedly and wrapped his legs tight around Jack's waist, hands gripping the older man's biceps as Jack turned and pressed him hard into the wall. Holding him up with one hand on his arse, Jack's free hand moved to Ianto's trousers, teasing fingers ghosting over his cock as he tugged on the zipper.

"Jack, please," Ianto begged, face flushed with arousal, "hurry up."

"Patience is a virtue, Ianto," said Jack, nipping him playfully on the jaw while his hand finished depositing the layers between them. Ianto let out a deep, pleasured sigh as skin finally met skin and caught Jack's lips in another messy kiss, all tongue and teeth and awkward from the angle he was at. But none of that mattered now. Jack was _his. _And that thought alone was enough to make him forget all the other fuck ups in his life and concentrate on the here and now.

"Jack," Ianto mumbled when they finally parted, leisurely kissing his way down Jack's throat. Jack moaned softly and moved them away towards the bed, never once letting go of the man in his arms. Ianto allowed Jack to lay him down on his back, his nerves returning momentarily as he watched Jack retrieving supplies from the bedside table.

"Jack," Ianto said again, fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns along Jack's bare hip. "Look at me." Jack placed the items from the draw on the pillow and turned his attention back to the man beneath him. "I need to ask you something before we do this."

Jack smiled, "Go ahead."

"Well... and I promised myself I wasn't going to get worked up about this, but I don't think I can really relax until I've said it. It's about something Owen said--"

"Ah," Jack pushed himself up and moved to lie to the side of Ianto, "I thought it might be. You know he's only jealous, right?"

Ianto scoffed, "What's Owen got to be jealous of?"

Jack rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You, of course. Something about you threatens him. He probably thinks you're shagging me to take his job. I bet he told you I do this with everyone, is that what you're worried about?"

Ianto half smiled, his ears turning a bright shade of pink, "I guess so."

Jack chuckled and shook his head, "Oh, Ianto," he said, reaching out to card his fingers through the soft curls at the nape of Ianto's neck. "Do you honestly believe that?"

Ianto blushed and looked away, suddenly feeling a little vulnerable lying there practically naked right under his boss' nose. Of course, he thought. Why did he _ever _listen to Owen?

"Sorry," he mumbled, running a hand over his face, "I just needed to make sure."

"It's okay," Jack assured him, reaching out to cup Ianto's chin and pull him forwards. Ianto went willingly, latching back onto Jack's mouth while Jack slid his arms up around his torso and used it to flip them over, Jack on top pressing Ianto into the mattress.

"So how do you want to do this?" Ianto asked quickly, hoping he didn't sound too nervous or desperate. He figured if he could put a little order into this whole... situation, it might make sleeping with a man appear less frightening. Jack laughed and swooped down to kiss him again.

"Well, first of all," Jack reached down with one hand and swiftly divested of his own briefs, throwing them over his shoulder before he got to work on Ianto's. Ianto let him, his eyes widening as he focused properly on Jack's body.

"Jack... you're..." He swallowed and Jack followed the direction of his gaze. He laughed again when he realised what Ianto was looking so frightened of.

"It's not going to hurt you, y'know. Has there honestly never been another man before me?"

Ianto shook his head, "Not really. Is that a problem?"

Jack grinned predatorily and moved back up Ianto's body, holding himself up with one hand either side of his head, "Not a problem. In fact, that will make it even hotter when we do actually have sex."

"When we..." Ianto frowned and sat up as far as he could, "you mean we're not... now?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but there's no way you're ready," Jack told him, ignoring the look of disappointment on Ianto's face as he trailed fingers down his abdomen. "But we've got plenty of time for that. For now," he curled his hand firmly around Ianto's cock and twisted upwards. Ianto arched his back and breathed out Jack's name, hands gripping his shoulders as Jack slowly began to jerk him off.

"Jack, please," Ianto begged, not really sure what he was begging for. In all honesty, Jack was probably right about him not being ready, but that didn't stop Ianto from craving it all the same. Jack shushed him and reached for the small tube of lube with his free hand, leaning down to suck Ianto's lower lip between his teeth while he squeezed an ample amount into his palm.

"We will, Ianto," Jack promised him, though his voice was lost amongst Ianto's cries as Jack worked his cock faster, swiping a thumb over the head, "but I want to try something else now." Before Ianto could enquire as to what that something else was, Jack aligned both their cocks together and thrust forward, his slicked up hand instantly closing around them to create more friction.

"Christ, Jack!" Ianto threw his head back with a shout at the new sensation, pushing up desperately into Jack's palm. Jack took the hint and began a steady rhythm, pumping their cocks in his fist while Ianto moaned wantonly beneath him.

"Y'know Ianto," Jack breathed as he ducked his head to lick a path down Ianto's throat, teeth grazing lightly over his Adam's apple. "I had a bit of a plan for tomorrow night. You wanna hear it?"

Ianto responded by opening his legs wider in invitation, hands reaching down to grab a handful of Jack's arse and pull him closer. Jack smirked and settled himself firmly between Ianto's thighs, watching the younger man's eyes scrunch shut with pleasure as Jack continued to slide their cocks into the heat of his palm.

"I thought you might," Jack leant down to place a few feather light kisses across Ianto's chest. "See, I've always wondered what it might be like to have someone bend me in two and fuck me over that desk in my office." He dragged his tongue over a sensitive nipple before sucking it into his mouth, drawing a sharp gasp from the Welshman's lips. Jack peered up at him through long lashes and smiled cunningly. "Think you'd be up for it?"

Ianto whimpered and Jack moved back up his body to claim his lips in another bruising kiss, hand between them still working their cocks mercilessly. Ianto thrust upwards in a frantic bid for more friction, wrapping his legs securely around Jack's hips.

"Is that what you want, Jack?" He stuttered out as he closed his hands around Jack's biceps, feeling the muscles tensing beneath them. Jack was close. "You want me inside you? You want me to fuck you?"

Jack didn't really need to answer that, so instead he bent his head to find Ianto's pulse point with his teeth and bit down hard. Ianto gripped Jack's hair in his fingers, digging the balls of his feet into Jack's back to urge him on faster. Jack complied, taking a deep shuddering breath to try and stall his body's natural reaction. He'd wanted Ianto to come before he did, but the sight of the Welshman literally coming undone beneath him was all it took to push him over the edge.

"Ianto!" Jack cried out, his vision whiting out for a few long moments as he pushed up onto his knees, threw his head back and pumped his seed over Ianto's stomach. Ianto held onto him tight through the jerks and shudders until he slumped forward, sweaty and sated onto Ianto's chest, breathing heavily into his neck. Ianto winced a little at the mess, but carded his fingers through Jack's hair all the same, the intimacy momentarily distracting him from his own desperate need to come.

"Ianto," Jack murmured again, chuckling quietly to himself as he repeated the name a few more times under his breath. "Mhmm. Love that name."

Ianto shook his head as Jack laughed again, the vibrations shooting straight to his still painfully hard cock. He made a small sound in the back of his throat and wriggled slightly to get Jack's attention.

"Hate to break the moment and all that, but uh..." He gestured with his hand and Jack was back on his knees in the blink of an eye.

"How rude of me," Jack sat back and threw Ianto's legs over his shoulders, pulling him further down the bed with them. "Let me fix that for you." Ianto didn't get a chance to agree either way before Jack's hot mouth was on him, sucking him right to the back of his throat. Ianto swore loudly, his hands curling back around the sheets as Jack hollowed his cheeks and took him deeper.

"Oh, god," Ianto moaned, glancing down to watch his cock slide in and out of that tight heat. Jack hummed happily around his cock and sped up his movements, his head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. Ianto let his eyes fall shut, dropping back against the pillows as Jack flicked his tongue over the head repeatedly. "I'm gonna...oh god, Jack," Ianto panted, his hands flying to the older man's hair as Jack took him all the way down to the root again and did something expert with his tongue to make Ianto see stars.

"Jack, Jack, _Jack." _Ianto grabbed a handful of Jack's hair, holding him in place as he jerked up violently and came down Jack's throat with a shout. Jack accepted it greedily, swallowing around him, savouring every last drop until Ianto collapsed back against the pillows with a satisfied sigh. Jack smiled and rested his head on Ianto's chest, listening to his heart beats slowly even out.

"That was..." Ianto inhaled a breath and let it out slowly, "wow."

Jack laughed and flung a leg over Ianto's hips, marvelling at how perfectly their bodies seemed to mould together. Ianto stroked a hand down the older man's arm as the room fell into silence, both men grateful for a break after the stress of the last couple days. Ianto closed his eyes, feeling relaxed and content, maybe even happy for the first time since he could remember. Of course, it didn't last long before Jack broke the peace.

"I haven't forgotten, you know."

Ianto blinked, his hand stilled on Jack's arm. "Forgotten what?"

"What you told me earlier, that can't be the end of it, Ianto. We need to talk about this."

"Now?"

Jack shook his head and tilted his head to press a kiss to Ianto's neck, "Not now, no. But soon, okay? Don't keep me in the dark."

Ianto nodded, too tired to argue. The questions could wait. Now, it was just him and Jack.

"Sure, Jack. Now, go get me a cloth. I'm not sleeping like this," he wrinkled his nose at the drying come on his stomach and shoved Jack to the side.

Jack snorted, "Such a charmer, you are." He swung his legs over the side and padded across to the bathroom, pausing as he reached the door, "And Ianto?"

"Hmm?"

Jack looked as if he might actually say something serious for a moment, before plastering what Ianto knew to be a fake smile across his face and said, "Still up for that date tomorrow night?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. He'd let him off just this once.

"Definitely."


	12. Chapter 12

Ianto woke up to an unfamiliar and surprisingly empty bed.

Rolling over, he flung an arm out to the side of him just to double check, but found the sheets were stone cold. Ianto briefly wondered if he'd _imagined_ the warm body pressed up against his back only hours ago, but the unmistakable scent of Jack that Ianto was becoming increasingly fond of still lingered on the pillows. He sat up and flicked the bedside lamp on, squinting at the small alarm clock sat next to it.

It was only three thirty in the morning; far too early for Jack to be up and about, he thought. Saying that, it wasn't like staying overnight with his boss had become a regular occurrence. He had no idea if Jack had even fallen asleep the night before.

He quickly slipped into his trousers, not bothering with the shirt since Jack had seen it all already, and padded quietly out onto the landing. The rest of the house was in darkness and Ianto stumbled over his own feet a few times in a blind attempt to find the light switch. Funny, he could've sworn Jack left the lights on when they had come upstairs. They had certainly been a little distracted at the time...

He finally found the switch and winced as light flooded the landing, his hands locked around the banister as he made his way downstairs. He paused once he'd reached the bottom, listening out for any sign of life from the living room or kitchen.

There was nothing, besides the grandfather clock ticking away down the hall.

Sighing, he crept quietly down the hallway towards the living room, not wanting to scare the living daylights out of his new lover on their first night together. He raised his hand to knock, though that felt a little inappropriate. What could Jack be doing at three thirty in the morning that was so important?

"Jack?" He called out softly, pushing the door ajar to poke his head around the side. The room was in darkness, though the streetlight seeping through the window was enough to tell him it was empty. He frowned and moved back down the hall towards the kitchen, not even hesitating this time before he pushed the door open and sought out the switch.

Just as he suspected, it was also empty.

"Jack?" He called out again, a little louder. There was still no answer and Ianto began to feel a bit like an intruder, wandering around Jack's house alone. While he'd always been a little curious as to what his boss was hiding behind closed doors, it didn't feel right invading his privacy. He'd come to trust Jack (which was a terrifying thought in itself) and he was sure Jack trusted him to some degree. Not that Ianto had given him much reason to...

"Ianto?" Jack's voice sounded quietly from the doorway, though not quiet enough to keep Ianto from yelping in surprise. He spun around in a flash, his hands flying to his hips to gain some composure as a million excuses began to form in his head.

"Jack! Sorry, sorry, I was just... I mean, I just woke up and found the bed empty and... and..." His voice trailed off as his eyes came to rest properly on the other man. Jack had clearly been out, if the raincoat he was wrapped up in was anything to go by. His hair was windswept and sticking out at all angles and Ianto swore he caught a whiff of cigarette smoke as Jack moved closer. Jack's eyes were fixed on him when he finally met them, barely masked guilt plastered across his face.

"I didn't think you'd be awake yet," Jack spoke calmly, shrugging his coat off to hang by the radiator as he shot Ianto a questioning glance. "Everything alright?"

Ianto frowned. "Everything's... fine. I think. I mean," he took a breath, his heart thudding in his chest. "Is it?"

Jack snorted and stalked over to him, hooking a thumb under the waistband of Ianto's trousers to tug him closer. "Everything's perfect," he said, tilting his head to kiss Ianto firmly on the mouth. Ianto responded eagerly, despite the nagging doubt in the back of his mind that something wasn't quite right. Their tongues danced leisurely and Ianto _knew _he could taste cigarette smoke then. It didn't taste right on Jack and it was starting to make Ianto feel uneasy.

Ianto pulled away moments later, stepping casually back out the embrace to avoid Jack's wandering hands. Smiling, he gestured to the hallway. "I guess I'll head back upstairs then, if everything's okay." He paused, chewing his lip before asking hesitantly, "Are you... coming up?"

"Just give me five minutes," Jack replied, waving his hand dismissively as he wandered into the living room. Ianto felt a pang of hurt at his tone, but forced himself to stay calm and ask the question hanging on his mind.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you go?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unfazed. "Just went out to get some air. I rarely sleep through the whole night."

Ianto frowned again. He didn't want to make a big deal out of Jack disappearing for a couple hours, but there was definitely something off about the older man. Jack had been so keen the night before, now he could barely look him in the eye. As if on cue, Owens words echoed in his head,

"_Once he's had you, you'll be out of here and he'll just be hiring the next pretty thing to walk through that door."_

Ianto swallowed, his heart dropping at the thought, and before he knew it more questions were spilling from his lips.

"Have I... Have I done something wrong, Jack?"

That seemed to catch the other mans attention. Jack's head snapped around to face him as he shook his head frantically. "No! God, no, Ianto," he came closer again and reached out to cup Ianto's cheek, smoothing a thumb over pale skin. "I've just had a lot on my mind, that's all. Work mostly, nothing for you to worry about," he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Ianto's lips. "Listen, you go on back up to bed. We'll talk more in the morning, I promise."

Ianto sighed in defeat and nodded, turning his back to head back upstairs before a thought hit him.

"Oh, shit."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Something up?"

"Myfanwy!"

"Myfanwy? You cheating on me already?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and ran back into the hallway, talking back to Jack over his shoulder. "My dog, Myfanwy! I can't believe I forgot about her!" He raced back up the stairs, Jack following at a close distance, and began gathering up his clothing. Jack watched him sadly.

"You're leaving then?"

"I have to, Jack," Ianto told him, perching on the edge of the bed to slip his socks back on. "She freaks out if I'm gone for too long, plus she hasn't been fed since this morning." He shrugged back into his shirt, hurriedly doing up the buttons before he turned his attention back to Jack. "You're okay if I go?"

Jack nodded, somewhat absentmindedly and pulled Ianto in for another kiss. "Let me drive you," he said once they'd parted, "I don't want you out there alone."

"I'm a grown man, Jack. I can handle it."

"No," Jack insisted, putting a hand up to block the doorway, "not after what happened earlier. I'm driving you."

Ianto shook his head, exasperated. "Jack, come on. They're not still going to be out there. Besides, my cars parked in the city, I can walk there."

"You're not going out there alone," Jack told him, his eyes daring Ianto to argue with him. Ianto scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Well, it's not like you can stop me."

"You'd be surprised what I can do, Ianto."

Ianto scowled and dropped his arms to his sides. "And to think only hours ago you were all promises and sweet talk, now you're threatening me?!"

"I'm not threatening you!"

"Bloody sounds like it to me!"

Jack growled and grabbed Ianto by the wrist, pulling it up against his chest. "Listen, you don't know how much danger you could be putting yourself in going out there."

Ianto snatched his wrist from Jack's grasp and glared. "What the fuck's it got to do with you?"

"More than you know, Ianto."

Ianto blinked, feeling like he'd somehow missed something. "Jack?"

Jack winced, instantly wishing he could take the words back. He forced a smile and said again, "Just let me drive you, Ianto."

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easily," Ianto told him, his hands coming to rest on his hips. "What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing!" Jack insisted, weakly. "Just... I want you to be safe."

"It's my mess, Jack. I'll sort it. Now, if there's really nothing wrong you can let me through," Ianto pushed Jack's arm out the way and attempted to move through the gap, but Jack was having none of it. He grabbed a handful of Ianto's shirt and shoved him back into the room, slamming the door shut behind them and twisting the lock.

"If I can't drive you, you're not going."

Ianto stared at him, eyes wide. _This _was going too far.

"What the fuck are you doing, Jack?!"

Jack ignored him, instead concentrating on sliding his chair across to put some weight against the door. Ianto couldn't escape easily from that. Ianto watched, panic rising in his chest.

"Jack...?"

Jack turned around and walked forward until they were chest to chest. He placed a hand on each of Ianto's shoulders and pressed firmly until he sat down on the bed. Jack crouched down in front, one hand squeezing the Welshman's knee reassuringly.

"You need to tell me about Lisa, Ianto."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N I probably don't need to explain why this took so long, but sorry for the wait anyway. Hope you enjoy :)**

"_You need to tell me about Lisa, Ianto."_

Something inside Ianto twisted at those words. Of course, he thought. He had known Jack was too good to be true, that there had to be some sort of catch to this arrangement. Men like Jack didn't just fall at the feet of men like Ianto after two whole years.

"How... how did you know her name?" He asked reluctantly.

Jack shook his head, "It's not important, Ianto." He held up his hand to cut off Ianto's protestations and said, "What really matters now is that you tell me _everything_."

Ianto gave a short, bitter laugh and without warning shoved Jack away from him, using the momentary distraction to rush over to the door. Jack had caught up within seconds and yanked Ianto's wrist away from the lock, giving it a sharp tug to pull him back. With a rather undignified yelp, Ianto fell back onto Jack in a clumsy heap, not-so-accidently jabbing him in the ribs as he went. Jack grunted and used one arm to roll Ianto to the side, holding him down as he pushed himself up and straddled the younger mans hips.

"Stop fighting me, Ianto," Jack growled, pinning the other man's hands above his head to stop his struggling. "I don't want to have to do this."

Ianto huffed and attempted to tug his hands back, soon giving up when Jack tightened his grip painfully.

"Get off me!" cried Ianto, lifting his legs to try and knee Jack to the side. Somehow the action only served to trap his legs even more beneath Jack's weight and Ianto huffed in defeat. "Look, I'll answer your questions. Just let me go!"

Jack eyed him suspiciously, "You promise you won't run?"

"Oh for the love of--" Ianto made a show of rolling his eyes but nodded in agreement all the same, "Fine, fine. I promise. Not that you deserve it."

"This is for your own good, Ianto," Jack assured him, his tone a little softer than before. "If you promise to tell me the truth, I promise I'll reveal everything after."

"Too right you will!" Ianto told him, as Jack finally loosened his tight hold on the younger man and moved to the side. Ianto pushed himself up, picking imaginary flecks of dust from his trousers and went to sit down on the bed. Jack followed and perched next to him, making sure to stay close in case the Welshman made a dash for it again.

"I am sorry I had to do that," Jack said quietly, cautiously trailing a finger down Ianto's arm. Ianto watched, relaxing a little under the touch, until Jack reached his hand and covered it with his own. He tore his eyes away to stare at the floor.

"What do you want to know?"

Jack took a breath and considered his options. He could begin with the lighter questions, ease the pain a little.

"How did you meet?"

Ianto scoffed and shook his head, "Oh, don't insult me, Jack. Just get to the point."

"I wasn't trying to. I just don't want to..." He trailed off and removed his hand from Ianto's arm. "I don't want to hurt you."

"It's a bit late for that, Jack," Ianto said through gritted teeth, eyes fixed on the door ahead. He would've run for it by now if he wasn't so curious to know what Jack was hiding. Jack sighed next to him and Ianto felt him shift a little closer.

"I know it is, but please believe me when I say I have good reason for doing this."

"So tell me!" Ianto demanded, exasperated. "How can I trust you with any of this if I know you're keeping something from me?!"

"I said I was going to tell you—"

"Yeah, after I've told you all _my _secrets," Ianto bit back, standing up and folding his arms across his chest. "It's not going to work that way, Jack. I never wanted to tell you about any of this, but you had to keep pushing, didn't you? Well, now it's your turn."

Jack closed his eyes and let his head fall back, a tell tale sign that Ianto had won.

"Come here, then." Jack held his hand out to pull Ianto back down, loosely entwining their fingers to rest on his thigh. Ianto leaned into him a little, just close enough that his hair brushed lightly against the other man's cheek.

"I wasn't lying about why I left tonight," Jack began, turning his head slightly so his lips ghosted over Ianto's forehead. "I guess I was a little overwhelmed by... well, having you in my bed after all this time. I had to be alone to sort my head out, so I just went for a walk around the block." He paused and took a breath, stroking his thumb reassuringly over Ianto's palm. "One minute I was alone, and the next... I don't know where they came from, but they'd obviously seen us together when you arrived at my house."

"Shit," Ianto muttered, pulling away to run a hand through his hair. "I never wanted you involved in this."

"It's not your fault, Ianto," Jack insisted, tugging on his sleeve to pull him back. "Besides, if you hadn't come here tonight, none of this," he gestured between them with a smile, "would've happened. I wouldn't change any of this for the world."

Ianto's lips twitched into a smile, "Really?"

"Really." Jack hugged him closer, sighing in relief when Ianto returned the embrace. Maybe he hadn't completely fucked up after all.

"But anyway, back to the story," he went on, keeping his arms wrapped securely around Ianto's shoulders. "There were four of them. They started asking questions, demanding answers about Lisa. I figured she was the girlfriend you wouldn't tell me anything about, so I told them I knew nothing."

"Did they hurt you?" Ianto pulled away again to inspect Jack's face, but the other man just shook his head and batted his hand away.

"No, they barely laid a finger on me. It's you I'm worried about."

"What else did they say?"

"They... they threatened to hurt you if either of us contacted the police. But you see, this is where I need you to talk to me Ianto. I don't even know where to begin until you tell me a little about who these people are and what they want from you."

Ianto's heart sank. Time for the truth, he realised. Well, time for at least some of it.

"I know, Jack. I... just give me a minute." He stood up and padded across to the bathroom, returning moments later with a glass of water in hand. Jack smiled reassuringly, moving along the bed a bit to give Ianto all the space he needed. Ianto perched on the edge, his back rigid and his hands locked in a death grip around the glass.

"Lisa and I... we were together for three years. Two of which were wonderful, and one in which I barely knew her at all," he paused to take a breath, gathering his thoughts. "Our last year together... I don't know when it happened, but it's like I woke up one morning and she was a different person. I tried to help her, Christ, I tried everything. In the end I don't think she even..." Ianto's voice broke and the glass slipped to the floor. Ianto ignored it and covered his face with his hands, allowing Jack to pull him back into his arms and smooth a hand over his hair.

"Was she using?"

Ianto nodded into his shoulder, tears flowing freely now and soaking into the other mans shirt. Jack didn't say anything else, giving Ianto the time he needed to remember and grieve. A few minutes passed before the shaking in Ianto's shoulders slowly began to cease and he pulled out of Jack's embrace, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"Sorry," He mumbled, pawing weakly at Jack's shirt, "I've got you all wet."

Jack couldn't help but laugh a little at that, nudging Ianto playfully on the arm, "I think that's the least of our worries, Ianto."

Ianto smiled back, the mood lightened a little until his eyes drifted to the floor and the water that was seeping into Jack's carpet. Jack followed his eyes and clamped a hand over his mouth before he could start blaming himself.

"It's just water, Ianto."

"I should clean that up."

Jack chuckled and shook his head, "You'll do no such thing. Haven't you got a dog to feed?"

"You're driving me, I assume?"

Jack nodded and stood up, pulling Ianto with him by the hand. "It's the least you can let me do since you're not staying the night," Jack pouted and stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets. "Another time, I hope?"

"Another time," Ianto promised, smiling as his own hand slid down Jack's arm to join the one in his pocket. "Where... where do we go from here?"

"Well, I think you've told me enough for one night," He pressed a kiss to Ianto's forehead and pulled him away towards the door. "Sleep on it. We'll have lunch tomorrow, yeah?"

Ianto sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah... thank you, Jack."

Jack went to reply, but was interrupted by a loud vibration sounding from Ianto's pocket. Ianto frowned and dug his phone out, wondering who on earth could be calling at this hour. He flicked it open and read the display.

_Toshiko. _

"I should take this." He told Jack, moving back to the privacy of the other mans bedroom. "You go on down to the car, I won't be a second."

Jack smiled and obeyed, giving Ianto a quick peck on the cheek before bounding down the stairs. Ianto watched him go as he raised the phone to his ear.

"Tosh?"

"Ianto," Tosh's voice was so quiet on the line Ianto had to strain to hear. "Ianto, can you come over here? Please?"

Ianto frowned, "Tosh? What's the matter?"

"I don't have time to explain so please don't start asking questions but..." She paused and Ianto heard her breath quicken over the line. "I think there's someone in the house."


	14. Chapter 14

Tosh threw the door open as soon as she saw Ianto heading up the path, running out in her bare feet to greet him. Ianto crushed her in a hug, relieved to find her safe and in one piece.

"What happened?" He asked as they parted, one reaffirming hand squeezing her shoulder. Tosh shook her head, looking slightly sheepish.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I just--" She stopped talking as her eyes drifted to the man stepping out the car Ianto had arrived in. Ianto watched her eyes light up and followed her gaze, mentally kicking himself when he saw who had gotten her attention.

"Morning, Tosh!" Jack called cheerfully as he strolled up the path, slipping a hand around Ianto's waist as he reached them. "Everything okay?"

Ianto felt a flush creep up his neck as Tosh's eyes flitted between them, eventually settling on Ianto with a cocked eyebrow. "Uh... Yeah. Everything's fine, I think..."

Jack grinned and clapped Ianto on the back. "See, I told you not to worry."

Ianto ignored him and turned his attention to Tosh. "What happened?" He asked again, taking a casual step away from the man behind him as his hand began to wander.

"I don't know... nothing, really. I guess I just got kinda spooked after everything that's happened. I've been jumping at every noise."

Ianto frowned. "Well, something must have set it off. What did you hear?"

"I'm not sure. I thought I heard voices, but I guess that could've been the radio..." She looked between them, chewing on her lip. "Maybe... since you're here, you guys could check it out anyway?"

Jack smiled and stepped past her, Ianto hot on his heel. "Don't you worry, Tosh," Jack called over his shoulder as he walked up the path, "if there's any monsters in there, we'll catch them."

Tosh grabbed Ianto's arm before he could enter the house, holding him back as Jack wandered through the hallway. Ianto could feel his face burning before his friend had even spoken.

"So," Tosh began, turning to him with a grin, "you're with Jack."

Ianto shifted on the spot, anxiously fiddling with the material of his suit trousers. "Yeah," he said eventually, watching Jack's back as he moved down the hallway towards the living room. Tosh smiled and nudged him in the side.

"You wanna elaborate on that?"

"I was just... in a spot of bother. Jack helped me out. No big deal." Ianto swallowed and looked away, praying Tosh wouldn't ask more questions.

"I see." Tosh was unconvinced, but let it go for the moment as Jack came walking back through from the kitchen.

"No monsters in here, Tosh." He told her, coming over and leaning against the door frame. "Haven't checked upstairs yet though," he paused and looked between them, his eyes eventually settling on Ianto, "talking about me, are we?"

"You wish," Ianto muttered, pushing past him and heading through to the kitchen to make tea. Jack grinned after him before offering his arm to Tosh.

"Shall we?"

"Oh yes," Tosh giggled and linked her arm through his, nudging the door shut with her foot before they went to meet Ianto in the kitchen. Ianto was fussing about with mugs and cutlery, organising everything into neat stacks and rows, despite it being his friend's kitchen. Tosh was used to it now and let him do as he pleased.

"Jack, go and check upstairs while I make the tea." Ianto commanded, not even glancing up as he filled the kettle and set it to boil. Jack stood up without protest, waggling his eyebrows at Tosh as he whispered, "He's so masterful."

Tosh muffled another giggle with her hand as Ianto shot Jack a death glare and ushered him out the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Tosh came rushing over to Ianto's side.

"Come on. What's going on?"

Ianto smiled innocently and dropped a teabag into the pot. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, don't even--" Tosh yanked the teapot from his hands and turned him around to face her. "You've been with him all night, haven't you?"

Ianto just shrugged. "I told you, he was helping me out. We were at his house."

"You went to Jack's _house_?!"

"I--" Ianto sighed and gave in. Tosh was bound to find out sooner or later anyway. "When I left you last night, I... I was followed. I wanted to get away and my house was too far to walk, so I ended up at Jack's."

Tosh's eyes widened and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Does he know?"

"...He knows."

"Shit."

Ianto chuckled at the uncharacteristic swearing and poured the tea into three mugs, "Yeah."

Tosh paused, her brow furrowed while one hand played distantly with a strand of hair, a pose Ianto recognised as Tosh deep in thought. "So... Did this heart to heart with Jack lead to anything else?"

Ianto opened his mouth to respond, but it was at that moment that Jack came strolling back in, deliberately leaning over Ianto to grab an apple from the fruit dish. He took a large bite and tried grinning with his mouth full.

"Miss anything good while I was gone?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and shoved the hot mug of tea into his hands. "Not a thing," he said, pushing past Jack to move to the living room, "in fact, Tosh and I were just enjoying the moment's peace."

Jack followed, eyes fixed on Ianto's arse as they moved down the hallway. "You're not exactly the quietest yourself if last night was anything to go by."

Tosh giggled behind them while Ianto just huffed and muttered something under his breath, falling into the nearest arm chair. Jack perched next to him, one arm splayed out across the back.

"You two must be exhausted," Tosh said, and then flushed a deep shade of pink when she realised how that had sounded. "I... I meant... what with the..." She gave up and shot Ianto a pleading look.

"I know what you meant," he assured her, smiling as they fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Ianto swallowed as he felt fingers creeping along the back of his neck, eventually slipping beneath the collar of his shirt. He delivered a warning pinch to Jack's leg, but the other man ignored him and began slowly massaging the skin on his shoulder.

"So... do you guys want to stay tonight?" Tosh asked, breaking through the silence, much to Ianto's relief.

"Well, I..." He turned to the man next to him with a raised eyebrow. "Jack?"

Jack shrugged. "Suits me, if Tosh wants the company. Don't you need to see to the dog though?"

"Oh, crap. Yeah. I guess I should probably go--"

"I'll go." Jack insisted, removing his hand from Ianto's back to place his tea down. "Someone's got to stay with Tosh, and you can't exactly drive my car over there."

"I could just walk..." Ianto protested weakly, but it was clear Jack had already made a decision for the both of them.

"I promise not to snoop around. I'll just feed the dog and come straight back, okay?"

Ianto nodded, though looked slightly wary. With a sigh, he pulled his house key from his pocket and placed it in Jack's palm. "Here. Just be quick about it, yeah?"

Jack smiled warmly and dropped the key into his top pocket. "I'll be back before you know it."

*

Jack arrived back exactly thirty minutes later to Tosh and Ianto spreading sheets out over the sofa bed. He grinned when he noticed the bed was a double, and couldn't resist a quick grope to Ianto's arse while Tosh was fiddling about with the pillows. Ianto carefully disguised his surprise and slapped Jack's hand away.

"_Jack,_" he scolded playfully, and for a moment Jack felt like they'd been doing this for years. He took a step forward and leaned in closer to Ianto's ear.

"Gonna punish me?" He breathed, darting his tongue out to tease a spot below his ear. Ianto shuddered at the touch but swiftly stepped out of reach as Tosh turned around to face them.

"Right, that's the bed done. Are you two... you don't mind sharing, do you?"

Jack smirked and flopped down onto his back. "Not at all, Toshiko. Shame it's not a single, really."

Tosh smiled and turned to Ianto. "Do you need anything else before I head back upstairs?" Ianto shook his head and gave her a quick hug.

"This is plenty. Just shout if you hear anything else, we'll be right up." He pulled away and watched her back until she disappeared down the hallway, before shedding his suit and climbing in next to Jack. Jack flung an arm out to pull him close and nuzzled his neck.

"Was Myfanwy okay?"

"Fine," Jack murmured into his shoulder, "I think we bonded a little."

Ianto laughed softly, one hand resting lightly against Jack's hip. "Not trying to use your charms on my dog, I hope. She's not that easily fooled y'know."

"Well, I figured the way to her heart was through you." He lifted his head just enough to press a brief kiss to the corner of Ianto's mouth, before rolling onto his back and entwining their fingers against his hip. They lay side by side in silence for a few moments, neither of them willing to break the spell. Ianto was grateful for a chance to just switch his brain off for a while. He had a lot to digest for one day, most of it revolving around the man stretched out next to him.

"Ianto?" Jack whispered finally, pulling their joined hands up to his chest and stroking a thumb over Ianto's knuckles.

"Mhmm?"

"Can I keep you?"

Ianto blinked and blinked again. He turned his head to find Jack gazing at him quizzically, his hand frozen over Ianto's. Ianto allowed himself a minute to consider it, before he smiled softly and dropped a kiss onto Jack's forehead.

"For now."


	15. Chapter 15

Ianto woke to find himself alone for the second time that morning.

He sat up with a groan, back cricking painfully as he stretched his arms out above his head and swung his legs over the edge of the sofa bed. Glancing over to the side that had once been occupied by Jack, he found a yellow post-it note attached to the pillow.

_Had to get to work early, didn't want to disturb you. I'll pick up coffee on my way in, so no need to rush. Take the morning off if you like and I'll see you later. _

_Jack_

_Xxx_

Ianto smiled and neatly folded the note, tucking it into his trouser pocket as he tugged them over his legs. The smell of toast wafted through from the kitchen and Ianto felt his stomach rumble as he tried to remember the last time he'd eaten. Quickly slipping into his shirt, he padded through to the kitchen to see Tosh.

"Morning!" She greeted him cheerfully, pulling a chair out at the table and placing a large plate of toast in the middle. "Come and eat, I've made a bit too much I think."

Ianto beamed and rushed over to the table, piling three pieces of toast up on his plate. He smothered the first one in jam, folded it in half and devoured it in four bites.

"Someone's hungry," Tosh smiled and sat in the seat opposite, spreading a thin layer of butter across her own piece. Ianto tried for a smile around a huge mouthful of toast and gestured to the fridge with a raised eyebrow.

"Go ahead," She told him, taking a small bite from her slice, "tea's in the pot if you want it."

Ianto stood, taking his plate with him and moved over to pour the tea, glancing at the time on his watch for the first time that morning.

"Fuck!"

Tosh whirled around, startled. "What's the matter?"

"It's ten o'clock!" Ianto exclaimed, leaving the remains of his breakfast on the countertop and hurrying back down the hallway. Tosh rolled her eyes and followed, calling after him.

"Jack said we could take the morning off, didn't you get the note?!"

Ianto stared at her as if she'd grown another head. "That doesn't mean actually _take the morning off_, Tosh. Have you seen what happens to the office when I'm not there?!" He shook his head and raced off up the stairs, hurriedly doing up his shirt buttons as he went.

Tosh heaved a sigh and leant against the banister. "I'm sure you've got five minutes to finish breakfast, Ianto," she said as he returned fully dressed moments later, jacket slung over his shoulder.

"That's another five minutes for Jack or Owen to wreak havoc in the kitchenette, I'm not taking any chances." He pushed past her back into the kitchen, cramming another piece of toast into his mouth for the journey. He came back to find Tosh still stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching him with a frown.

"What?"

"Nothing..." she chewed on her lower lip hesitantly, "just, are you sure you're okay to walk there?" Ianto rolled his eyes and waved off her concern.

"I'll be fine, Tosh. It's not far." He moved over to the door, hand hovering above the handle as he turned back to smile at her. "Although... If you wanted to walk with me, I'm sure I wouldn't complain."

Tosh grinned and dashed off down the hallway. "I'll just get my coat."

*

They spent the walk mostly in silence, Tosh occasionally breaking it to comment on the weather or something she saw on television. She purposely avoided the topic of Jack or Ianto's stalkers, since Ianto seemed to be doing a fine job of panicking already. She watched as his eyes darted back and forth, peering around corners and down alleyways, twitching each time someone came up behind them. Tosh couldn't really blame him for being a little nervous after everything that had happened, but when she noticed his hands start to shake as they made their way down the high street, she decided it was time for a subject change.

"Y'know," She began, nudging him in the side with a small devilish grin, "I haven't seen you smoke for a while."

Ianto blinked and turned to face her, his hands automatically going to his pockets where he knew he had a pack of ten stashed away.

"So?"

"You always said you'd quit once something better came along," she smiled and poked him in the arm, "I bet you didn't smoke last night either."

Ianto shrugged. "I had a lot on my mind last night, I didn't have time."

"If you'd had time though--"

"Yeah, well I didn't." Ianto snapped defensively. He hated to admit it, but Tosh was right. He hadn't smoked once while he'd been with Jack and he knew there was a good reason for that; he'd had a distraction. He'd been distracted. Not only that, but it had been a _good _distraction.

Turning back to Tosh, he found her staring at him, confusion evident in her face. His expression softened and he reached out to squeeze her arm.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit... on edge."

"You don't say," said Tosh, smirking as they reached the office building and walked through the automatic doors. Ianto calmed down a little at the thought of seeing Jack and pulled Tosh into a firm hug as they stepped into the lift, ignoring the other passengers.

"Thanks, Tosh. I do appreciate this," He whispered, aware that the two women stood behind them could hear everything he said. Tosh blushed a little at the praise, but gave him a small nod of acknowledgement before he stepped out at his floor.

"Have a good day, Ianto." She called after him as the doors closed. Ianto exhaled a long breath and adjusted his tie, as he did every morning. This morning was going to be very different though. He swallowed and tried to ignore the picture his mind was painting of him walking into the office and twenty six knowing pairs of eyes instantly boring into his back. The thought made his stomach churn and it took every ounce of courage in him just to take another step.

He knew he was being stupid really, that the others couldn't possibly know about him and Jack. Jack wouldn't have said anything, would he?

He didn't have a lot of time to ponder that thought, as it was at that moment Owen came bustling through the door, yelling orders at the new student intern who was balancing four books on one arm and struggling to keep up behind him. Owen stopped dead when he noticed Ianto and gestured over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"The boyfriend wants to see you," he told him, sniggering as he watched Ianto's face pale, "I wouldn't keep him waiting or you might not get shagged tonight."

It took a few moments for those words to click with Ianto, but when they did he scowled and stormed past Owen into the office, heading straight towards Jack's office to give him a piece of his mind. He could handle Tosh or even _Gwen_ making snarky comments, but he wasn't going to take it from Owen fucking Harper.

Ignoring his co-workers, he walked right up to Jack's office and swung the door open, expecting to find Jack sat behind his desk with a mug of terrible coffee in hand. Instead, he was met by four pairs of eyes; Jack sat in the middle of them reading from what was likely an incredibly important document. He paused at the commotion and glanced up, mouth curving upwards into a smile at the sight of Ianto.

"Morning, Ianto," he greeted him, biting back a laugh at the adorable flush that was rapidly making its way up the younger mans neck, "were you after something?"

Ianto plastered on a fake smile and slowly retreated out the room. "Uh... Nothing that can't wait, sir," he said, taking the last step out the door with a polite nod to three men in suits sat around the desk. "Sorry to interrupt."

Jack stood and cleared his throat to address his clients. "Will you excuse me a second?"

The men all grumbled a reply and Jack quickly dashed over to the door, stepping out in front of Ianto and pulling it shut behind them. He took Ianto's arm and led him down the corridor until they reached the stationary cupboard, tugging him inside before anyone in the office noticed. As soon as the door was shut and locked, Ianto turned on Jack, anger overcoming his initial embarrassment.

"What the fuck have you told Owen?!" He demanded, folding his arms across his chest in an act of defiance. Jack raised his hand to seek out Ianto's, but dropped it back to his side almost instantly when he caught the look on the other man's face. Sighing, he settled for stepping closer and leaning against one of the shelf units, hip just brushing against Ianto's.

"I'm sorry," he began, placing one leg either side of Ianto's so the younger man had no choice but to stand between them. "It just sort of... slipped out earlier. He was teasing me, really pushing his luck. I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't thinking!" Ianto retorted angrily. "This is going to be all over the office by the end of today. Did you even take that into consideration?!"

Jack bit his lip, eyes dropping to the floor. "I really am sorry. But... isn't it better this way? Y'know, things all out in the open?"

"Maybe for you, Jack. You're the boss; no one would dare say a word to you."

"And they won't tease you either." Jack insisted, pushing himself up to pull Ianto to him. Ianto went reluctantly, clinging loosely on to Jack's braces. "If anyone says a word to you about it, they've got me to deal with. That includes whatever Owen said to you this morning."

Ianto huffed into Jack's shoulder, but felt his earlier anger rapidly fading. Jack seemed to notice and chanced a quick kiss to Ianto's cheek, rubbing his hands soothingly down the other mans back.

"Will you stay behind tonight?" He asked eventually when it was clear Ianto had nothing left to say. He felt Ianto grin into his neck and pulled back to look him in the eye, bringing one hand up to cup his jaw. "What?"

"You think I'm going to go ahead with the plans we made last night after your behaviour this morning?" Ianto's tone was serious, but the tiny twitch of his lips gave the game away. Still, Jack was all for games. He'd played enough of them to get to where they were now.

"Well, maybe this will convince you." Jack grinned and licked a stripe up Ianto's neck, nibbling on his ear as he trailed a hand down towards his belt. Ianto stopped him with a hand on his wrist before he could take it any further, calmly stepping out of reach.

"I'm afraid it will take a bit more than that, sir, and I believe you have a meeting to attend to first." He straightened up and adjusted his suit before stepping over Jack to reach the door. "I have some forms for you to sign this afternoon too. That gives you," he paused and glanced at his watch, "approximately three hours to decide how you're going to make this up to me."

Jacks gawping went ignored by Ianto, who dismissed the conversation with a wave of his hand as he stepped out the door, pausing only once in the doorway to say,

"Good luck, sir."


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry this chapter is a little short. Just a bit of fluff before the angst next chapter ;) **

**Thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting! Enjoy.**

* * *

Ianto managed to avoid Jack up until lunchtime, busying himself with various paperwork and coffee for the team while Jack was stuck in meetings. He'd hoped the other man would keep himself occupied until late afternoon, but no sooner had the rest of his co-workers left for lunch, Jack came sauntering over to his desk and perched himself on the edge, slapping a hand down over the piece of paper Ianto was writing on.

"I'm horny," he announced, swinging his legs over to Ianto's side of the desk and sliding the paper away from under his arm. Ianto just sighed and tore another piece from the pad, glancing up briefly to eye the obvious bulge in the front of his boss's trousers.

"I can see that." He replied, shaking off the hand that was creeping along his shoulder and turning his attention back to his work. Jack pouted and without warning, clambered into the younger mans lap, sending the papers flying to the floor.

"Jack!" Ianto hissed, eyes flitting nervously around the office to make sure no one had been watching. He tugged desperately at Jack's shirt, marvelling at the other mans ability to turn him from calm to flustered in a matter of seconds. "Move!"

"Relax, Ianto; they're all out to lunch. No one can see us here anyway." He touched a hand to Ianto's cheek in an effort to calm him, fingers teasing a sensitive spot behind his ear while he pressed his chest to the other mans side. Ianto breathed shakily and eventually relaxed enough to slide his hands around Jack's waist, still keeping a firm eye on the doors.

"As I was saying--" Jack began, drawing Ianto's attention back to him. He grinned and gestured towards his crotch, rubbing unashamedly against Ianto's leg like a dog.

"You're still being punished." Ianto told him, but craned his neck up to kiss Jack on the mouth all the same. Jack revelled in the contact, grabbing a fistful of shirt as he teased Ianto's mouth open with his tongue.

"I'd expect nothing less," he murmured as they parted, sneaking a couple fingers beneath the hem of Ianto's shirt to trail over bare skin. Ianto's lips twitched into a smile and Jack caught a quick flash of something in his eyes that he didn't recognise.

"Good." He let his hands drop from Jack's waist and leaned back in his chair, opening his legs so Jack had to grip the desk to stop himself falling unceremoniously to the floor. Once he'd recovered and turned back to give Ianto a piece of his mind, Ianto simply cocked an eyebrow and inclined his head towards the door. "Now, don't you have work to be doing?"

Jack pushed himself up so he was leaning against the desk, mouth morphing into a cocky grin as he ran his eyes up and down the younger man's frame.

"I can think of something else I'd rather--"

"Don't even bother finishing that sentence." Ianto spoke over him, hands finding their way to his pockets as he stood up to meet Jack eye to eye. "You'll report back here at the end of the day. For now, you can work your way through that long list of phone calls I left on your desk an hour ago. Oh, and don't forget these." He opened the nearest draw and pulled out a pile of forms, ignoring Jack's look of bewilderment as he pushed them into his hands.

"Ianto--"

"Is there a problem?"

Jack swallowed against a dry throat, eyes darkening at the scolding tone of Ianto's voice. Tucking the papers under his arm, he stepped away from the desk and shook his head.

"No problem. I'll get on that right away," he bit his lip, hesitating before adding, "...sir."

Ianto smiled. "Good. Off you go then." He dismissed Jack with a wave of his hand and turned back to his own work. Jack waited five seconds to make sure the conversation was definitely over, before jogging back off to his office with a grin.

Only three hours and twenty one minutes to wait.

*

Despite the promise of a good night with Ianto, Jack was in a foul mood by the end of the day. His clients were giving him a hard time, Owen was giving him a hard time, even_ Tosh _had come down to lecture him on his relationship with Ianto, threatening all sorts of things if Jack dared to hurt him.

Any other time, Jack would've found it almost touching that Tosh cared for her friend so much, but he was getting tired of the insinuation that his life was controlled by his dick. Ianto already seemed to think that was the case and Jack figured it was going to be a difficult job convincing him otherwise.

Still, he had plenty of time for that and if there was one person who could make him feel better after the day he'd had, it was the man himself.

He raked a hand through his hair and moved over to the window to check his reflection. He looked and felt like shit, but hopefully he could distract Ianto long enough that he wouldn't notice.

A quiet knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. Ianto didn't wait for an invite before swinging the door open, leaning against the frame as he eyed up his prize.

"You were late." he announced, glancing once over his shoulder before stepping in and nudging the door shut with his hip. "Thought I'd come to you."

Jack cocked an eyebrow, mood rapidly improving as he stalked over towards the other man. Ianto met him eye to eye, standing his ground to try and get the upper hand.

"I'm certainly not complaining," Jack leered, slipping a hand between their bodies to play with the buttons of Ianto's shirt. Ianto let him continue for a few short moments, before prying Jack's hands away and hooking his own fingers under the older man's braces. Jack's surprised laugh turned into a whimper as Ianto pushed him back until his thighs hit the edge of the desk, allowing him a moment to compose himself before attacking Jack's lips with his own. Jack hummed happily into his mouth and brought his arms up around Ianto's waist, tugging his shirt out to slide warm hands beneath the fabric.

Ianto pulled back first, but only to dispose of Jack's shirt and press a wet kiss to his collarbone.

"I've been thinking about this all day," he murmured, trailing kisses down the other man's chest towards his navel while Jack tangled fingers in his hair. Jack sighed happily and let his hands fall to Ianto's shoulders, massaging gently to spur him on.

"You and me both," he managed to say, just seconds before Ianto tugged his trousers and briefs down in one and sucked him into his mouth. Jack groaned and instinctively thrust forwards, perhaps a little too fast as Ianto instantly pulled back, coughing and spluttering uncontrollably. Jack swore under his breath and crouched down, stroking a hand down Ianto's back.

"Sorry." He mumbled, smiling sheepishly as Ianto took a few calming breaths and turned his head back to Jack with a glare. He stood up and adjusted his tie, crossing his arms across his chest as he stared down at Jack, still kneeling on the floor.

"You know I haven't done this before, Jack."

"Yeah, I do know that--"

"And being with a man is all still very new to me."

"I know that, Ianto. I do. I just got--"

"And you should probably stop babbling and let me fuck you now."

"I didn't—Oh. Yeah, I should." Jack grinned salaciously and hopped up onto the desk, spreading his legs and indicating for Ianto to stand between them. Ianto did just that, batting Jack's hands away as they reached for his tie.

"The punishment still stands." Ianto insisted, leaning down to peel Jack's socks away and pull his trousers off over his feet. Jack had intended to keep his mouth shut, but his impatience was at an all time high and he decided it was worth the risk.

"What _is _the punishment?"

Ianto's eyes snapped back up to him and without warning, he delivered a hard smack to Jack's bare thigh; much to his boss's delight. Jack moaned and spread his legs even wider, curling his ankle around Ianto's leg to draw him in closer.

"I can live with that," he drawled, pressing his palms flat against the desk behind him. "How do you want me?"

"I want you to shut up. Then we'll see." Ianto smirked to himself and stepped around to the other side of the desk, pulling the bottom draw open in search of the condoms he knew Jack kept there. He picked one out then felt about for the one other thing he needed.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"...Lube?"

Jack froze on the spot, biting his lip as he slowly turned around towards Ianto.

"Uh..."

Ianto slammed the draw shut and stood up. "You have got some... right?"

Jack gulped. "We... can manage without?"

Ianto rolled his eyes with an audible sigh, digging into his pocket for his wallet.

"No. We can't, Jack. Where's the nearest Boots?"

"Ianto, I mean it. I'll be--"

"Where is it?!"

"There's a Superdrug down the road on the way to my place. Ten minute walk, if that."

Ianto nodded and shrugged his jacket back into place, muttering to himself as he walked over to the door.

"Right, I'll be back as soon as I can. No touching yourself while I'm gone."

"Not even just--"

"No," Ianto cut over him, "and I know when you're lying, so don't even try it." He grinned smugly and swung the door open. "Is that clear?"

Jack was already sprawled out on the desk, arms above him supporting his head. "Mmhm. I love it when you're bossy."

"I know." Ianto chuckled fondly under his breath and moved out the door, glancing back once to catch Jack leaning up on his elbows to blow him a kiss.

Ianto didn't stop smiling till he reached the ground floor.


End file.
